The Heaven's Gift
by Menelanna
Summary: Menelanna is a young elven ranger who will stop at nothing to save her sister from the mage Irenicus. Little did she know what she was getting herself into.
1. Chapter 1

General Note: Menelanna is elvish for Heaven's Gift hence the title of this story.

**Chapter 1**

_Where am I? What happened to me?_

These were the first thoughts the Bhaal spawn Menelanna had. The young elven ranger had been the hero of Baldur's Gate. All had seemed well after the final battle with her twisted half-brother Savorvok. That was until that faithful night…

It was her watch. As she stared into the night sky thinking back on all that had happened to her in these past few months. It seemed almost like yesterday that she would sit in garden in Candlekeep with her foster father Gorion as he pointed out constellations to her. Her father who was murdered by the armored man who was her brother.

"Father…" she murmured "I miss you."

Those were her last thoughts before she heard a twig snap. Not a sound that would alert any human, but was sharp and clear to her elven ears. She sprang to her feet and call out an alarm to her companions…then all went black…

Menelanna groaned and tried to rise, but her weakened body would not allow her to get up. As she cracked open her eyes she saw the dank place she was in. She found herself in a small cage, and around her were many others. The inhabitants of those cages looked to be in far worse shape than she was. In the distance she heard a scream …_Imoen?..._then the darkness took her again.

How long she laid there unconscious she did not know. She heard foot steps approaching and she slowly opened her eyes.

"Ah! So the Child of Bhaal has awakened. It is time for more…experiments" a voice said.

A voice which was cold and inhuman. Next thing she knew her body burning with pain as the masked mage began casting his spells. She could not ignore the pain, she could not defend herself…all she could do was cry out in pain.

The elf was barely aware when a golem came to report that the dungeon was under attack. She hardly took notice as her cold hearted capture teleported away. Her mind began to slip again.

"Dear Corellon…have mercy on me and let my spirit be free…" she barely whispered.

"Wake up you! Wake up!" a voice suddenly pierce her thoughts.

"Imoen?…How?…Where…" groaned Menelanna

"Mene! No time we have to get out of this place!" Imoen said franticly.

"Alright…I ach all over though…but lets get out of this horrible place. Explain how you escaped and what is going on later. For now let's try to find the others and find safety."

Imoen helped her foster sister to her feet. Menelanna's limbs felt like they were on fire, but she did her best to mask her pain. She could not show any weakness, not now.

_I have to act strong…for her sake…_where the elf's thoughts.

As they moved through the dark dungeons the two young women managed to find weapons and armor, nothing like they had before their capture but it was better than nothing. Menelanna thanked the Seldarine many times when they were able to reunite themselves with Jaheira and Minsc, and of course Boo. But to her horror she learned of Dynaheir's and Khalid's deaths.

They also found an unlikely ally, a thief by the name of Yoshimo. Menelanna did not have a good feeling about this human, but knew not to look a gift horse in the mouth so to say. Menelanna was also able to find out something about their capture…his name was Irenicus. But there were still many questions. Why did he want her? Where were they and more importantly how do they escape? Would this man come after them again? If he did what would happen? These questions move in and out of Menelanna's mind as they fought their why out of the dungeon.

Finally they saw light ahead and knew that they had found their exit. As they rushed out into the open air the tunnel collapsed sealing the dungeon off. They were in the middle of a market area, rubble littered the ground and peasants were running around in fear. In the middle of the chaos stood their tormentor, Irenicus. Hooded men were attacking him, but seemingly without effort the mage disintegrated them. He then turned his cold eyes upon the rag tag party.

"So god child you have escaped"

"You won't torture us any longer!" screamed Imoen as she set off a magic missal at him.

"Imoen no! Let get out of here!" Menelanna tried to yell but she was cut off as wizards suddenly appeared.

After the wizards gave an annoying speech about the use of "unsanctioned magical energy" they declared that they would take both Imoen and Irenicus in. Imoen tried to resist but the mage oddly calmly went with them so long as they took her as well.

"No! You won't take her!" declared Menelanna as she drew her blade and tried to lunge at one of the wizards as he disappeared into his magical portal.

"Imoen! NO!"

"Woe is us! That our pink hair girl has been taken away. Butt kicking in needed in good measure. Right Boo?"

Jaheira said nothing, but wore a mask of anger that promised she would do all in her power to rescue Imoen and avenge her husband.

"I will save you my friend. This has happened because of me and my tainted blood. I will rescue you if it is the last thing I do." the elf said in a determined voice as she began to walk out of the promenade to begin her search for her lost companion.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

"Alright we are here. Now what in the nine hells do you want!"

"Coo! Now calm calm, I just want to be a' helpin' ya."

"Then say something useful, I am not in a good mood right now thief."

One look into the elf's eyes and Gaelan Bayle knew that what she just said was a quite the understatement. She looked tired and worn, and very angry.

"Ye be lookin' fer yer lass, Imoen right?"

The elf nodded

"Ah good," he replied simply. "But ye should know that it requires my friends to cross the Cowled Wizards. Not somethin' ye would be able to do on yer own."

"You do not know what I am able or not able to do? But who are these "friends" and how much will their "aid" cost me?"

"They would be willin' to help ye for no small fee."

"I understand that but what is the price?" Gaelan could see that the elf's patience was running thin.

"That would be 20,000 gold piece lass."

"What? How in the name of the Great Archer am I going to get that kind of money? Is there no way to lower the price?"

"None, but I am sure ye can find some work for yersleves. Ye look like a capable bunch. So is it a deal?"

"Well since I have nothing else to go on…fine. I will return with your gold when I have it."

Menelanna did not wait for his response, she turned on her heal and stormed out of the building. Jaheira, Minsc, and Yoshimo were close behind her. They desided that it would be best to find a place to rest before moving on. Yoshimo, who seemed to know the city lead the way to the establishment known as the Copper Cornet.

"This place is not a friendly one, be wary of who you deal with."

The elf nodded. "I plan on it. I do not plan on letting anyone know what I am if I can avoid it."

"That would be wisest."

"Here it is. Not much of a place but it will give us a place to stay."

"Good enough for me Yoshimo. Let's head in."

It was a dark dingy place, but it was better than where she had been spend her previous nights. She walked through the place quietly.

"We will get some rest here. In the morning we will try and find some gold to get better equipment and then we will look for a way to earn the gold needed to rescue Imoen."

Her three companions nodded. The rooms were paid for and a small meal was bought. Menelanna barely touched her food. She kept her hood low over her face as if she were trying to hide from the world.

_"They are dead because of me. Khalid and Dynaheir are dead because of my tainted blood. And now Imoen has been captured because of it as well."_

"I am going to get some rest. See you in the morning."

Jaheira sighed a long painful sigh.

"It seems to me the young lass is keeping something to herself." Yoshimo remarked.

"She blames herself for what happened." said Jaheira quietly.

"But Boo says it is not little Menelanna's fault for the wrongful deaths of our good companions!"

"No, she is not to blame, but she will still pin the blame on herself."

------------

A young man looked around the room in disgust.

"_By Helm! Why does such a place exist! Bah! I need to find something worthy of my skills to prove myself to the Order and quickly!"_

The warrior priests looked as a young elf got up from a table and left her companions. She turned as started to head in his general direction. The long bow on her back and the blade on her hip told him that she was no stranger to battle. He glanced at her face was at a lose for words for a moment. She had long red hair and striking green eyes, she was the most beautiful women he had ever seen.

"_What is someone like that doing here?"_

She was nearing him and for a moment he could not bring himself to speak. She had almost past him when he finally found his voice.

"Fair lady!"

The elf slowly turned and regarded him.

"What brings you to this dank cesspool of corruption?"

"I could ask you the same thing. And it is none of your business sir. Now good day," she turned to leave again.

"Indeed it is my business my lady. Are you a force of goodness or one in common with the filth that reside here?"

"If you must know Sir Nosey, I am a goodly ranger in the service Solonor, the Great Archer. Not that one like you would know much of the Seldarine." Her patience was growing very thin.

"I will ignore your rudeness for now." he said with some annoyance. "I am Anomen warrior priest of Helm," he said proudly, "I seek a group in which I could join to prove myself worthy to be a knight of the Order of the Most Radiant Heart. Would you find yourself needing a warrior and healer by your side?"

The elf looked him up and down. Anomen felt like he was being inspected by one of his commanding knights. She studied him for a long moment before she spoke again.

"I can tell you are no stranger to battle Sir Anomen. And having a healer joining me would be most helpful and I know Helm to be a just god. Very well you may join my group. My name is Menelanna and I am the leader of this little group."

"Thank you My Lady. It will be an honor to fight by you side. And there is no need to call me Sir, I am no knight yet."

"Alright then, Anomen. But I should let you know that what I am planning to do is going to be very dangerous. My childhood friend, more like a sister really, has been wrongly captured by the Cowled Wizards and I plan to rescue her."

"A worthy cause! I will gladly aid you in rescuing your lost friend."

"Now if you would excuse me. I am in much need of rest. I shall see you in the morning then," she turned abruptly and left without another word.

"Rest well my lady."

Anomen watched her as she ascended the stairs towards her room. He turned to join his new companions to find out who else he was to be traveling with.

"_This should be interesting."_

_----------_

Menelanna entered her room and immediately threw herself on the bed. She finally let her tears run free, she finally let her emotions she had been keeping locked up all afternoon out.

"_Khalid…Dynaheir…dead because of me."_

Her tears did not cease until she fell into a fitful reverie.


	3. Chapter 3

I have been getting plenty of hits for my story. But I would love to hear your opinions about my elven ranger. Thank you and hope you enjoy the next chapter.

I sorta mainly did this chapter just to bring in two of my favorite elves into the picture. ;) Enjoy.

---------------

**Chapter 3**

"Tempa! Wait!"

Menelanna turned suddenly and smiled as she saw a familiar face.

"Kivan! What brings you hear?" inquired Jaheira.

"It is good to see you again my friend," said Menelanna

"It is good to have found you mellonamin. But there are some missing. What has become of Khalid and Dynaheir?"

The group gave Kivan a brief update about what had transpired since they had parted ways at Baldur's Gate. He looked horrified as he learned about their capture and the deaths of their dear friends.

"Cuamin linduva yassen megrille, mellonamin. My bow shall ring with your sword my friend. I will help you to find Imoen and bring vengeance upon this Irenicus."

"Thank you."

--------

"Mister? You look strong mister. Could you help me?"

"What is this? A child needs the help of Minsc and Boo? Boo asks 'What do you need?'"

The boy was young and dirty. It looked as if he had traveled a long distance and had not eaten for a while. He gave Minsc a nervous look but his desperation made him tell him of his plight.

"M-my village is being attacked. P-people have b-been disappearing! Please help us!" sobbed the boy.

"There, there young one. Tell us what is going on and we shall see what we can do to help," said Menelanna calmly as she took the sobbing boy into her arms.

"I would like for us to go on this. It would be good to be out of the city and help these people," Jaheira interjected.

"W-will you help me?"

"Yes we will. Please lead us to your village," replied Menelanna

"Y-yes ma'am. T-thank you."

--------

As the group followed the boy through the city toward the exit they suddenly heard the voice of another friendly face.

"W-what are you doing hear?"

"I could ask you the same thing Xan. I thought you were going to Everesk," said Kivan.

"I did. The Greycloaks have sent me here to Amn to investigate a vampire guild rumored to be about. What bring you hear?" he gazed at Menelanna as he spoke.

"Imoen has been captured. I plan to rescue her. The Cowled Wizards have her"

"It is hopeless you know trying to face the Cowled Wizards," he said morosely.

"Ah, but so was going up against the Iron Throne," smirked Menelanna.

"Sigh…I see you have not changed at all. I may regret saying this…but do you need an enchanter with you. It is my guess that you may end up facing these vampires I am here to investigate."

"It would be wonderful to have you along Xan. Just one rule."

"And what is that?" he asked in a hopeless tone.

"No doom slaying allowed!" she exclaimed with a smile.

--------

They trekked across the plains to reach Imnsvale, the boy's village. While they were walking Menelanna came a marched by Anomen's side.

"Anomen? Can I talk to you for a brief moment?"

"Of course My Lady."

"I wish to apologize to you."

"What ever for?"

"For my behavior last night. I should not have been so rude to you."

"Think nothing of it. Your friends told me what had occurred to you just a few hours before our meeting. With such circumstances your actions were understandable."

"No, I should not have let my emotions get the better of me. I should not have lashed out at you. I should control my stress and anger better," she turned her face away suddenly trying to hide the tears forming in her eyes.

Anomen put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"My Lady, we will find your sister. Worry not, for Helm guides us on a righteous path and I will fight by your side if you stay to that path."

"Thank you Anomen," she gave him a small smile. "Oh, one last thing."

"Yes, My Lady?"

"You do not need to call me 'My Lady'. Just Menelanna, or Mene if you wish."

"But you are the leading and a fair lady, I should show proper respect to you."

"It is not needed. We are all friends and companions here. I am not one of your commanders"

She did not wait for a response and quietly left his side. He watched her go and admired the way the sinking sun made her red hair shine like fire.

_You truly are a fair lady. _He thought.

"_'My Lady'? Hardly!" _Thought Menelanna, _"I wonder of he knew what I was if he would still call me a lady or if he would be repulsed and leave me. Or kill me to rid the world of this taint. I would not blame him."_


	4. Chapter 4

First off I want to thank you all for the reviews.

Arabellaesque---thanks for the corrections you gave me. Also I have been reading your story. Yeah our girls seem a lot alike. I just chose the class and race because it is my fav. But you will see Mene's uniqueness as I develop her more.

Let me just make a note…my game is not working at all as I make this. So I may misspell town names and the such. So any corrections in that field would be most welcome. Thanks all!

**Chapter 4**

It took them a few days travel to reach the village. The young boy seemed to enjoy traveling with the "great warriors" as he said. When they reached the village he lead them to the mayor's house and asked them to go talk to him. When the entered an older slightly fat man looked up suddenly surprised by the newcomers.

"Greetings sir. I am Menelanna and this is my adventuring group. The young boy we accompanied here told us you had some problems here. Could we be of help to you?"

"Delon found help! How wonderful! I was worried he would not find anyone when we sent the boy to find aid," exclaimed the mayor.

"Well he found help, but I am none too please that you sent a child into the wilderness alone. Who knows what could have happened to him. And it looked as if he was robbed as soon as he entered the city. Next time you should send someone more experience," Jaheira said in a curt tone.

"Um…uh yes…" he looked at the druid nervously and then turn and spoke to the leader, "Well, you see, we have been having a run of killing and disappearances of late. Another group of adventures came through here to help, but they have not been seen for days!"

"They disappeared? That is not good news in the least. Do you have any idea who is behind your problems?"

"Well…umm...some of the men have spotted a group of ogres in the area. That could be the problem. Also our local ranger, Merella, has not been seen for some time. I fear she too may have been killed by what plagues us!"

"Mmm…so your local ranger has disappeared too? I have a feeling this may be more than just mere ogres and the like. I shall look into it. Lets go everyone."

---------

They found the ogre's group not too far north of the village. The rag tag group was a mix of orcs, gnolls, and ogres. The group did not look imposing at all, and Menelanna highly doubted that this group was what was causing the village its problems.

"I hope I am not the only one who doubts that _this _is the group causing so much turmoil to this area!"

"You certainly are not. The indeed do look pitiful," remarked the druid.

"I will speak with them."

"No! They are evil creatures that must be killed," exclaimed Kivan.

"Calm my friend. Stay on guard and be ready for if they do attack," Menelanna said. Then in a hushed voice she said in elfish, "And do not judge by heritage alone."

Kivan looked at her and nodded slowly. "I understand," he replied in the same language.

"You know this hopeless don't you?"

"What did I say about doom saying Xan?" she asked with a smirk.

She then stepped out and revealed herself to the ogre and his group.

"Yous. Yous elfs, but not of human village. Why yous here?" the ogre spoke slowly as if not comfortable with the common tongue.

"I seek the ones who are behind the disappearances in the village. Are you the cause of this?"

"You really expect them to admit that!" exclaimed Xan from behind.

"Lets just kill them now Menelanna!" Kivan remarked.

"Shut it you two!"

The ogre looked between the three elves nervously. Then spoke again.

"We's not know what happens. Our people disappear too!"

"Your kin are disappearing too? I see. I shall leave you in peace then. I just better not hear that you attack the village."

"Wait elfs. We's not attack village. We's wants to trade with village. Be friends."

The elf looked at him skeptically for a moment but saw no lie from him.

"Very well. I will tell the mayor of this, but I cannot make any promises. Fare well." She turned and left, he companions close behind.

"Thank you for staying my hand mellonamin. I was too hasty in my judgment," Kivan said quietly in elfish.

Menelanna just smiled at him understandingly and walked on.

--------

Merella's ranger cabin was not too far west of the village close to the river. From the outside it seem to be a nice peace full log cabin, but the group could tell something was wrong. The two elven rangers lead the way into the building. It had the smell of stale air and reeked of death. The whole place was in shambles. They started to search the place to see if they could find any clue to what had occurred. Menelanna gasped when she found the dead body in the bed room and bloody paw prints leading away from it.

"Kivan come here! Look at these tracks!" she called.

He examined them closely, "They are…odd."

"A wolf's definitely, but they seem too light…almost if it were a shadow of a wolf. But how?"

"This may have some useful information," Yoshimo replied as he handed what looked to be a journal to Menelanna.

She flipped through the pages and read the last few entries.

"It appears that something odd has been going on in some near by ruins. I subject we go there."

"It would be best if we waited until the morning. The sun is setting fast," subjected the druid.

"Good idea. But not in here. Lets go outside."

The others nodded seeming to be relieved to leave the cabin for fresher air.

---------

Kivan offered to take the first watch. Menelanna suddenly realized how tired she was and gratefully laid herself down to reverie. It was not too long after she drifted into reverie that she began to dream.

"_Candlekeep? I am in Candlekeep again?" asked Menelanna. Her voice echoed into the distance. As Menelanna looked around she realized something was extremely wrong with the place. The fountains that had once flowed with crystal clear water were empty voids. The lush gardens with vibrant flowers were dead. It seemed as if all the color and life of Candlekeep had been drained from the world. Her instinct told her suddenly she was not alone. She went to draw her weapons, but found that she was without her equipment. _

"_A dream" a hollow voice said. She turned suddenly and saw Imoen. She felt a sudden rush of relief at seeing her sister and started to run to her. She suddenly stopped when she noticed that something was wrong with Imoen, she seemed to nothing but a memory or shadow of her. "A dream of many things," the shadow went on. "Of friends and family. These dreams always mean something... don't they?" _

_Imoen moved on, her vacant eyes not seeming to focus on anything. She stopped by the doors of the library and reached up and touched it lightly. She then spoke on in her empty hollow voice. "Do you remember these doors? I remember... I think... Yes. This was my home for so long, but it is too late to go back. They wouldn't have you now. They wouldn't have me. Had no use..." she whispered, "someone else. He wants something... I... I don't know why. Those in the cowls don't even know... Why don't I know?"_

_Menelanna looked to her sister with worry. She wanted to run up and hug her and comfort her. But she also feared this Imoen, and it was that fear that made her stay her ground and watch in silence. Imoen moved again, it seemed as if she glided more than walked. This time she lead the way to the gates of the keep. Before them stood statues of Gorion, Khalid, and Elimister. _

"_Do you remember Gorion? Or the others?" asked Imoen as she nodded to the statues, "I think I do. They were... no... wait. They were the guidance, and there was much more to learn. But it's too late now. They are so far away... You are far away... too far away to help ."_

_Before Menelanna could stop herself she ran up and put her hand on the image of her father face. He looked so real…she wanted him to be real…to her horror as soon as she touched him he and the other two disintegrated leaving nothing but a pile of dust at her feet. Imoen watched with impassive eyes and an expressionless face. "Memories should stay, shouldn't they? But he digs deeper, pushes everything aside. I don't remember any of you." She then turned and moved away again. _

"_Do you remember Sarevok?" Suddenly a statue of her evil half-brother appeared. The hulking armored figure seemed no less daunting than the real thing had. "They sought your death, and mine. It all seemed so important at the time, but... but I don't remember them at all." Suddenly Sarevok's image distingrated as well, leaving nothing in its place, "Something else is... something else is more dangerous... closer. I can feel it..."_

_For the first time Imoen seemed to look directly at Menelanna. "Do you remember me?" she whispered. "I... I can almost see... I want to, but... I... too late. You will come too late..."_

"_No! Imoen I am coming for you!" Menelanna shouted and then she shrieked in horror as her sister turned to stone before her eyes._

"_She resists," came the voice of the one who had tormented her. "She clings to her old life as if it actually matters. She will learn." _

"_What is this Irenicus? What torment are you bringing to us now?" demanded the elf._

"_It is a portrait of what has happened, and what may yet happen," he explained. "Do you cling to the past, or can you see through the pain? You feel the potential within, don't you? Will you cringe from what you know you want? What you can take as your own? You know what you want. It is you, after all, who has brought us to the dream."_

"_Me? I brought us here?"_

"_Nothing is real…" he said. Suddenly the statue of Imoen dissolved and blew away like dust in the wind. "…Yet"_

_--------_

Menelanna suddenly awoke as her scream pierced through the night. The next thing she knew was that she was sobbing into the arms of someone…

"Hush…it was just a nightmare," a soothing voice whispered in her ear.

She opened her eyes and saw her friends standing around watching her with concern. She closed her eyes again and let her tears flow, she did not care what they thought. Xan sighed and wrapped her in his arms tightly until she fell asleep again.


	5. Chapter 5

Okay…next chapter done! I tried to be a bit more descriptive in this chapter. I am new at writing fanfics so any advice you guys may have would be most welcome.

Arabellaesque, thank you for your continued comments! I appreciate your advice.

**Chapter 5**

Menelanna walked by herself when she finally awoke in the morning. Her dream had greatly disturbed her and she wanted some time alone to think. She sat down by the bank of the river and began to refresh herself. A twig snap behind her alerted her that she was not alone.

"Stop hiding back there Xan. You know for an elf you have a very heavy foot fall."

The enchanter sighed as he moved to sit next to Menelanna. The two elves sat in silence for a long while neither wishing to speak. Finally Xan decided to break the silence.

"It is not right you know. You having to go through this."

"What is right in this world?"

Xan chuckled dryly, "It appears my bleak outlook on life is wearing off on you."

Menelanna turned her eyes away from him. She did not wish to look at him. She did not want him to see the tears welding up in her eyes. She did not want to appear weak to him. He watched her with sadness in his eyes. Before he realized what he was doing he reach out and gently stroked her cheek. Menelanna suddenly leaped away from him, her hand instinctually went to her weapon. Her eyes were full of terror and sorrow, her breath was short and labored. She looked like a wild animal that had been cornered. Xan gasped at this sudden change in her demeanor and started to back away. Slowly the ranger's breathing became more normal, but she could not stop herself from shaking.

"I…I am sorry…" she chocked. "It…it is just that….that _he_ touched me like that. He…he would hold my face…m-make me look at him…" she stammered trying to hold back her tears.

"Forgive me, I did not mean to cause you distress."

"Thank you…for last night" she whispered, "I could not ask for a better friend and kinsman than you."

She stood and left him alone. Xan watched her go and sighed. "_It is hopeless" _he thought to himself "_Why am I letting my feelings do this to me? It will only end in pain."_

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No more than an hour later Menelanna lead the way to the ruins mentioned in the ranger's journal. No one spoke of the previous night, and for that she was grateful. She was worried though, her dreams kept getting worse and they seemed so real.

By midday the company reached for forest surrounding the ruins. Though it did not seem like midday. There was a darkness about the place. The trees and other foliage seem to be almost black. The plants grew close together and seemed to be cutting off all light and life. Menelanna looked about nervously and took a deep breath and sighed. The air was stale as well, everything seemed to be closing in on them.

"There is a foulness about this forest, may Helm protect us."

"There is indeed an unnaturalness in this forest, come let us get to the bottom of this and restore balance to this place."

Menelanna merely nodded and lead on. They cut there way though much of the forest when the saw a cave before them. There was a shape crouched in front of the cave. The figure looked up at them. It was covered in shaggy fur and had the face of wolf, but the body of a human. A werewolf. Menelanna drew out her bow and notched an arrow ready to let if fly.

"No! You will not stop my revenge!" howled the werewolf and it ran into the cave.

"After it!" yelled Kivan.

He lead the way into the cave, the others following closely behind. There stood a young woman, but her eyes were wild and feral. The werewolf had changed shape.

"I will slay you for the trouble you have been causing Imnesvale!"

"Can I not enjoy my last meal in peace wretched manlings!"

"You and the rest of your pack have killed their last innocent life, prepare to die!"

"Ha, my pack? Not after what the Shade Lord did to them!"

"What do you mean?"

"A shadow lord appeared and turned my pack into his slaves. I Anath, leader of this pack, vow to take my vengeance!"

Menelanna studied the female werewolf carefully ignoring the nervous glance from the rest of her party.

"Very well. I will aid you against this "Shadow Lord" but if you lie, I will kill you."

"Fine. Meet me at the temple then. If you cannot find it yourself then you are not worthy to fight!"

Suddenly she began to grow in size. Her hands and feet became great paws with long claws. The rest of her body grew long fur and her face elongated into that of a wolf. She let out a mournful howl and ran past the party out into the forest. The companions glanced at each other and then followed.

With the unnatural darkness of the forest it took all the skills of both Menelanna and Kivan to find the way through the wood. After much searching they found the ruins of what seemed to once been a grand temple. Now it was defiled and evil seemed radiate from the very rocks there. Anath could be seen fighting what looked like to be shadows. From the darkness many more monsters emerged, all seemed to be made from the very shadows that fell upon the forest.

"Elf!" howled Anath, "It is a trap! Use the mirror to gather the light! Avenge my pack!" With that she let out one final howl that echoed though the wood before she was overcome by the shadows and consumed by their darkness.

Shadows started to run toward the adventurers with a foul hunger in there glowing red eyes. They quickly drew there weapons and began to fend them off. Menelanna shot off a few arrows, but they past right through the shadows' incorporeal body. Anomen and Jaheira called to their gods and enchanted weapons formed in their hands. Minsc let out a might roar as he swung his great sword at the shadows with little effect.

Menelanna knew they would soon be over come if she did not act quickly. She bolted toward the mirror Anath had pointed out. Several shadows were close on her heels, but she managed to get to the mirror. She spotted a glowing crystal not too far off and turned the mirror to catch the crystals light. Suddenly the area glowed with a bright light. The shadow beast let out howls of pain as the disappeared into nothingness.

She heard her companions breath a sigh of relief and make their way to hear. _Why it so dark all of a sudden?_ the elf wondered. She suddenly realized she had been blinded. She cautiously stood up, using her bow to help guide her.

"What is wrong child, speak!"

"My Lady your arm is wounded! One of those foul creature must have bitten you!" Anomen rushed over to her and quickly administered a healing spell.

She turned her head towards them still unable to see anything.

"She has been blinded by their touch!" gasped Anomen.

Xan quickly moved to her side and examined her, "It is similar to the effects of a mage's spell. It should wear off in a little while."

"That does not make this any less nerve racking! Do you know what it is like suddenly losing your sight!"

She heard a few of her companions let out a small chuckle. It was decided that they would wait in the safety of the light until Menelanna's blindness wore off before moving on. Menelanna's mood did not brighten in the least until she regained her sight.

---------

"Ho noble friends! I beg your assistance in this evil place!" said the young Halfling they had just freed from the shadow's prison.

"Who might you be?"

"Your grace," the Halfling bowed, "I am Mazzy Fentan, a valiant servant of justice and righteousness. As you can see I am need of your aid."

"Would you by any chance be part of the adventuring group that recently disappeared in this area?"

"I…I am their leader. The Shade Lord…killed my brave companions and locked me here."

"I will aid you in avenging your fallen comrades. Can you lead us to where the Shade Lord is?"

"That I can."

Menelanna did not know how long they fought through the dark corridors of the ruined temple. Shadows assaulted them every step of the way and she was exceedingly grateful for the blessings Anomen and Jaheira were able to provide to aid them in battle. They had to make there way through many wards, both from the temple's long forgotten god and the new presence of the Shade Lord. Eventually after passing a holy test, moving past a warded floor, and putting a prophet child's spirit to rest, they were able to assemble an old holy symbol. Menelanna recognized it as the symbol of Amaunator, a forgotten dead god of light. They also received an odd shaped stone with runes engraved into it, the child spirit had told them that the stone was a ward that would allow them to pass by a shadow dragon unnoticed. It was time to move on to the Shade Lord.

---------

"That thing is big," gawked Menelanna.

"Boo says that we should slay evil dragon!" he raised his sword and was ready to charge. The other companions quickly grabbed their large friend and held him back.

"We will slay it Minsc, let just take care of the Shade Lord first! He is the more important opponent. Then we can come back later to kill the dragon."

"Eh? Alright, Boo says you speak wisely. Let us slay evil shadow!"

It was tiresome battle. The Shade Lord proved to be quite the opponent. None of their attacks seemed to be able to do it any harm. It was Mazzy who actually saved the day. She was gripped in battle with the spirit of her love, whom the Shade Lord had corrupted. Her shadow love knocked her back; where she fell upon the defiled alter of Amaunator. She noticed a small inky black gem that radiated with evil power and seemed to give strength to the darkness the surrounded them. The young Halfling raised her sword high, calling up her goddess and then smashed the jewel. As the jewel shattered the Shade Lord staggered and weakened, and sunlight shown down upon them for the first time since they entered the forest. Now it only took a single blow from Anomen's spiritual hammer to destroy the Shade Lord. The creature withered and evaporated, leaving the broken form of Imnsevale's ranger, Merella at the base of the alter. The darkness had been defeated and light had returned to the world.

Mazzy fell to her knees before what was left of Patrick, her love. Silent tears flowed down her face. Menelanna came up beside her and gently placed a hand on her shoulder.

"My companions are gone…" the Halfling whispered.

"They died a noble death, no matter what this foul creature did to them afterwards," said Menelanna quietly. She glanced up and looked at the now purified alter. "This is an alter of a long dead god. It would be a fitting monument for your fallen comrades."

Mazzy nodded slowly and whipped her tears away. She took out a dagger from her belt and carved the names of her fallen friends into the alter. She then offered up a prayer for them. The others gathered each offered their own prayers to their gods as well.

----------

The companions traveled back to the village in silence. With the destruction of the Shade Lord the evil in the area was lifted. Menelanna was able to breath easily in the now peaceful forest. For the first time since her capture she felt light hearted.

_"I belong in a place like this. A calm peaceful forest." _She thought to herself, _"But I guess it is hopeless dream, with my blood I will never be able to live in peace." _She chuckled to herself _"Gods! I am starting to sound like Xan!" _

The mayor was thrilled to see the adventurers return safely and was relieved to hear of the Shade Lord's death. Menelanna told him about the ogre's proposal of a trading treaty. He seemed surprised by this, but agreed to speak with him. He was about to leave the building when he turned and regarded Menelanna for a moment.

"You are a ranger are you not?"

Menelanna nodded, "I am."

"With Merella's death, we are now lacking a ranger in these woods. It would be an honor if you would take up that role."

Menelanna stared at him in shock for a moment, "You wish me to be the resident ranger? I…I do not know if I am best suited to the job. You see I will be needing to spend much time away from here."

"That will not be a problem, if we have immediate need of you we will send a messenger. So will you agree?"

"It will be an honor," smiled the elf.

"I will let the village know! This is great news!" he beamed brightly and left.

Kivan clapped Menelanna on the shoulder. He wore one of his rare smiles as he looked at her.

"So you now take on the role of a local ranger! Do not look so nervous, you will do a fine job and if you needed any guidance do not be afraid to ask."

She just smiled sheepishly back and thanked him.


	6. Chapter 6

Well, I finally updated. Hope you enjoy this chapter.

**Chapter 6**

Imnsevale's local ranger's cabin had been cleaned and freshened. The mayor had also ordered it to be stocked with items that may be useful to Menelanna. The young ranger looked about the cabin while the other waited outside.

"_Odd"_ she thought _"For once I feel at peace. Something I have not had since my father's death. Once I free Imoen I think I could stay here." _

She exited the cabin and saw her friends preparing supper. She announced that she was going to go for a walk to get to know the land and started to head off. She had barely left the camp ground when she heard someone coming up behind her. She gave a friendly smile as Anomen came to walk next to her.

"I know you are skilled in the woods, My Lady, but it is best to not be alone. Do you mind if I accompany you?"

"You company would be most welcome."

The two walked through the peaceful wood talking about various things. Their conversation ranged from their battle with the Shade Lord to the deer that they stumbled across. The conversation stopped abruptly when they came across a hunting cat. The feline snarled at them and prepared itself to pounce. Anomen grabbed for him mace, but Menelanna put a hand on his arm to stop him and stepped toward the cat calmly. She spoke to it quietly in elfish and the cat abruptly calmed. It gave the elf a friendly nudge and licked her face before running off into the wood. Anomen just watch her in amazement.

She flashed him a bright smile and said, "Just one of the many skills a ranger has!"

He smiled back at her. He stopped and thought for a moment. "You know My Lady, we have traveled for a quite a while together, and yet know next to nothing of each other."

The elf turned toward him and sat on the ground cross legged, "Then tell me something of yourself!"

"There is precious little to tell," he admitted as he sat next to her. He then went on to tell a lengthy tale. "Although my few adventures have been glorious, indeed!The path to knighthood is a long one, however...hence the need for my travels. But a few of my deeds have reached the ears of bards.Battle is commonplace enough throughout Amn, and the Order has fielded its army many times in recent years. Most recently, however...let me think...I was with our men when the orcs came down into the Ommlur Hills once again. In great numbers, they are a force to fear...but individually, they are no match for a warrior.I, myself, was able to fight through many of them alone and take the head of one of their foul chieftans!"

Menelanna smirked at him, "Sounds _very _impressive."

Anomen obviously missed the sarcasm in her voice, "Aye, it has been a struggle to prove my worth to the Order," he went on proudly. **"**I wish nothing more than to ride into battle with the crest of the Radiant Heart flying over my head. But I speak too much of my own deeds.One would think me preoccupied with pride.I would not blame you were you not interested in hearing tales of my prowess, truly. I am interested in hearing something of yours, however, my lady.I have been told a little of your deeds in the Sword Coast, albeit they do sound quite fanciful and exaggerated."

"No more than yours are, m'lord," she replied her voice dripping in sarcasm as she grinned at him.

He grunted, "I see you do not believe me."

"Heh, sorry for teasing you. I will admit though that most tales do grow with each telling. My tale is not more important or significant than yours is."

"Well it seems someone is in a better mood and wishes to pick on others!" he chuckled and she just grinned at him. He paused for a moment, "What you say does have a ring of truth though.I did not think that you truly stopped a war in the north on your own, skilled as you might brings exaggeration, I am told."

Menelanna scratched her head and smiled sheepishly, "Actually…that part is true. I did stop a war, but I was not alone. Many who travel with us now aided me then." She sighed and went on in a sad voice, "but not all who were with me then are still here. Imoen is captured, and Khalid and Dynaheir are dead…"

Anomen placed a hand on her shoulder, "We will find your sister, and avenge your fallen comrades. I swear in Helm's name I will aid you for as long as I can."

"Thank you. I am glad you are here with us." She smiled at him suddenly, "Come, I believe our supper should be done by now and I am hungry!"

With that she got to her feet and the two of them walked back to the camp together.

--------

The next morning Mazzy announced that she was going to leave them and return to her home in Trademeed. She explained that she needed to return to her family and let them know what had transpired. The others all nodded with understanding and told her it was a honor to have met her. Minsc insisted that the brave little Halfling give Boo a good bye kiss. Mazzy did not see a respectful way to decline so she agreed. Everyone, except the prideful looking Minsc, burst into laughter as she kissed Boo on the head and he in turn covered his eyes as if bashful to have such a fair lady kissed him.

After saying their farewells the rest of the party made their way back to Athkatla. It was an uneventful journey and the company made their way to the Copper Cornet. It was decided that they would rest for the rest of the afternoon and seek out new employment the next day. Everyone decided to do their own thing and meet back in the afternoon.

"Well I am going to spend my afternoon going for a walk around the town. See you all back here later," announced Menelanna as she headed out the door.

----------

Anomen watched Menelanna leave the tavern. Part of him desired to go out and follow her, but he knew that she wished to spend some time alone. Instead he decided to remain in the tavern for some peace of his own. After a while he noticed a young man come it, by his appearance Anomen guessed that he was from the region of Baldur's Gate. The man was obviously a bard due to the fact that he had a lute strung to his back. The bard had a few words with the innkeeper, who was nodding in agreement to whatever he had said. The man smiled and drew up a seat in front of the tavern where all could see him, he prepared and tuned his instrument and then spoke to the crowd.

"Greeting good people of Athkalta! I am Garrick from Baldur's Gate. I come to you with tales of great deeds done in that region. Any here wish to hear a tale or two?"

"What you going to tell us about that iron crisis that was happening a while back?" scoffed a man in the back. "Like that is worthy of a bard's tale!"

"Ah but do you know the truth of that crisis? Do you know of the Hero of Baldur's Gate who prevented the war between these two continents? The Hero Menelanna?"

Anomen who had only been half listening to the man was suddenly all ears. He gazed at the man intently.

"You know of the lady Menelanna?" he inquired.

"Indeed I do. I saw first hand her great deeds. I was there with her when she battled the man Sarevok and freed the fair city from his evil. So shall I share the tale with you or would you rather hear a song or two?"

Those gathered in the tavern cheered for the tale. So the bard Garrick started to tell his tale. He began with how the benevolent elven ranger freed him from doing the bidding of an evil witch named Silky. Went on to tell her deeds in the Nashkel mines and the discovery of how the ore was being contaminated. Spoke about how she fooled bandits into allowing her entrance into their camp where she found vital information. He praised her deeds in the Cloakwood forest and in Baldur's Gate. Grimly went on to tell about her discovery that she was a Spawn of Bhaal, the dead god of murder, and her wrongful imprisonment for a murder she did not perform. He finally ended with how she lead the way down into Sarevok's hidden temple where he was slain and her name cleared.

The audience was silent during the tale, in awe of this woman the bard spoke of. Anomen had been listening to the tale intently. He had been impressed with the deeds the bard had described. But upon the mention of her heritage he turned pale and his thought seemed to drift away from the storyteller and the rest of the tavern.

_"Menelanna a Child of Bhaal? By Helm! How can this be?" _

He was so lost in his thoughts he did not notice the bard pack up and go to his paid room as night fell. He barely acknowledged the return of his comrades as they went to their rooms. He only looked up from the table when Menelanna returned. She flashed him a friendly smile as she announced that she was going to bed. He barely managed to nod as she ran off upstairs.

_"She seems so pure of heart. It must be a lie! She can't be a Bhaal Spawn, she can't!"_

---------

Menelanna suddenly awoke gasping for breath. A nightmare, another nightmare. She went to the water basin in the room and washed the sweat from her face. She knew she would not be able to fall asleep again so she decided to go the tavern's common room. When she came down stairs it was empty of all life. A small fire was still going in the pit, she sat down by it and stared into the flames. She was so lost in her thoughts that she did not notice when someone sat down next to her. When the voice spoke she jumped in surprise.

"My Lady, why do you not sleep?"

"Neither sleep nor reverie bring me much peace anymore," she sighed. "Why are you not asleep yourself?"

"My thoughts are not allowing me to sleep tonight."

"We I guess we can keep each other company since neither of us can find rest," she gave him a small smile.

They sat in silence for a few minutes. Menelanna wished for something to break their silence.

"Mind if I ask you something?"

"Of course not My Lady."

"Well, I do not know much of the Order. Would you tell me of it?" she asked him, knowing it would at least give them something to talk about.

It worked, Anomen beamed as he spoke, "Of course My Lady. We exist to serve, but we follow no commands yet those of our hearts and our conscience.'Tis a rare thing that can stand up to the full array of the Order's armies, my lady. I do not understand why the Order does not take control of the Council, personally.It could do far more to turn this into a fair and equitable land, don't you think?"

"I do not really have an opinion to tell the truth."

"Mmm…I see. Now…do you mind if ask you something in return?" there was a nervous tone in his usually confident voice and his bright smile was now gone.

"Ask what you will of me."

"Earlier today while I was in the tavern, a bard came in. He said his name was Garrick from Baldur's Gate." Menelanna stiffened at hearing the bards name fearing what may have happened. Anomen continued on, "He said he was one of your companions and told us a tale of all your exploits along the Sword Coast."

"I…I see, yes I knew a Garrick in Baldur's Gate," she said nervously.

"He…he mentioned something. I…I do not want to believe it but I must know My Lady. Are…are you truly one of the Children? A Child of Bhaal?"

Menelanna hung her head unable to look at the priest, afraid of what she might see in his eyes. She wanted to lie to him, but knew she could no longer hide the truth from him.

"Yes, it is true," she whispered. She heard him gasp, "I am sorry you found out about it this way. I was just afraid of telling you about my accursed heritage with you being a priest and squire of a noble order."

"I…I admit I am more than a little shocked at this news."

"I will understand if you do not wish to travel with me anymore. I would not blame you if you saw it fit to rid this world of my taint," her voice was full of pain.

Anomen breathed heavily for a few moments before speaking confidently to her, "Who said I was going to leave your side? You have already proven to me that you are of a pure and good heart despite your dark heritage. No, I will not leave you. Besides I already promised you I would aid you in finding your sister." He gave her a fond smile.

Menelanna looked up trying to keep the tears from her eyes, "T-thank you Anomen. You have truly been a great friend to me." She paused for a moment, "We have best try to get some sleep, good night my friend." She leaned towards him and gave him a gentle kiss on the cheek before she got up and returned to her room.

Anomen flushed ash her lips touched him. He watched her go, mesmerized by how she could have such a burden upon her as Bhaal's taint and still be such a pure hearted woman.

"Good night, My Lady," he whispered into the empty room.


	7. Chapter 7

sigh yes I know this chapter is a little bit heavy on the dialog, but that is just how this one went.

**Chapter 7**

Menelanna returned to her room. She was a bit upset over the fact that Anomen had found out she was a child of Bhaal, but at the same time exceedingly grateful for his loyalty. She laid herself back down on her bed hoping to get some rest. She did not awaken again until early morning.

When the ranger awoke she quietly went downstairs hoping to find some breakfast. The common room was mostly empty, just few patrons sitting around the room. She spotted Xan sitting in the back of the room with his spell book in front of him and went to sit with him. He glanced up and gave her a greeting in his normal morose tone of voice.

"Morning Joyful One," she said with a smirk.

"Very funny."

He put his spell book away and got up to get some food. He returned with two plates and handed one to Menelanna. Menelanna noticed that Xan was giving her a sad doleful look.

"Cut that out! I am not going to die despite your doom saying predictions!"

Xan sighed, "It is not that. I heard you last night. Another nightmare?"

"I…yes. Another nightmare, always another nightmare. They just keep getting worse too," she sighed.

"Will you tell me of it? I am not sure if I can be any help to you, but it may make it easier for you."

Menelanna pushed her plate away, suddenly no longer hungry. It took her several minutes before she could bring herself to speak.

"I was back in Candlekeep. It was empty…colorless, lifeless. I walked up the path to the library, the fountains and gardens that once brightened the area were gone. In their place were just black voids that lead to no where. I walked up to the library doors, the seemed older, more worn than I had ever remembered them being. When I opened the door, the seemed to just glide open as if they were not really there. It felt like I was being lead…I went into one of the old lecture halls where the monks use to teach me and Imoen. Inside…" she paused and turned away having trouble going on.

Xan took her hand in his and encouraged her to go on. He seemed to be trying to be strong for her, but he had fear in his own eyes.

"The room was filled with statues…and _he_ was there. Irenicus stood at the front of the room, just like my teachers had. He just turned and smiled at me…an evil twisted smile. He then started to tell me that life has strength. With a wave of his hand the statue next to him came to life…he told me of her life, what she had done, how she had prevailed…and then with another wave of his hand…she disintegrated," she shuddered at the memory and tried to keep herself from crying. "I was afraid…afraid of what he might do to the others there. He told me of what I could become…horrid terrifying things…I denied him. Saying I did not want what he promised…Imoen then appeared. He started to torture her…and me…he said that I will accept the gifts that are offered me…if only to save those who have suffered because of me."

She turned away from him, she did not want him to see her pain. Xan abruptly pulled her to him and wrapped his arms around her. Menelanna buried her face into his shoulder and let out her tears while Xan just held her and stroked her hair.

"Why? Oh Corellon why does this have to happen to you?" he whispered in elvish, Menelanna could hear a hint of rage in his voice as he spoke on. "Even when you are not in his power this…this monster still torments you! Never before have I felt anger like this, and it will not cease till either he is dead…or me. Since he is the more powerful mage, it will likely be my death."

"Stop that. You will not die," she whispered in the same language, "No more of my friends will die…"

"You are ever hopeful…but I guess I can give you some credit. I have traveled this long with you and yet I still live," he gave her a sad smile.

"Thank you for sticking by me, even if we are all doomed," she gave a weak grin.

Xan gently wiped away her tears on the sleeve of his robe. "One so beautiful should not cry," he muttered to himself.

"What did you say?"

Xan suddenly flushed. "Nothing," He silently berated himself for being so careless to voice such a though. "I know I offered this to you before when you were having nightmare, and I will do so again. If you wish I will share reverie with you to help prevent these dreams from tormenting you."

"I would like that, thank you." She paused, "I have best wash up, I will return shortly. Again thank you…for everything."

She turned and ran up the stairs and disappeared from view. Xan watched her go and sighed.

"_Did he say what I think he did?" _though Menelanna. _"He thinks I am beautiful? Does that mean...No can't be. I am doomed! He would never want a doomed woman." _

---------

By the time Menelanna returned everyone was gathered in the common room. The group started to discuss how and where they would find a job to earn gold. While they were talking a man of noble looking birth came up to them. Menelanna found something odd about him, but could not place her finger on it. He was a handsome man with bright red hair and a well groomed look. The newcomer glanced over the group before fixing his eyes on Menelanna.

"I would like to have a word with you if you have the time. It is something that you would find most profitable." His voice had an oddly rich deep tone to it.

Menelanna nodded to him and gestured for him to take a seat. When the stranger had seated himself he went on.

"I am Lord Jierdan Firkraag. I have heard of you exploits and I must say you are quite an amazing woman," he gave Menelanna a smile.

"You have no need to try and flatter me. Please tell me what you need."

"Well, my land is in the region of the Windspear Hills and I have been have a bit of a problem with the orc population recently."

"I see. You want us to rid your land of these orc? I do not mean to sound greedy but I am in need of a large amount of money…" she began.

"Oh worry not, I plan on paying you well. How does 10,000 gold sound?"

"You have got to be joking? You are willing to pay that much for simple orc killing?" gawked Menelanna.

Lord Firkraag just smiled pleasantly at her, "Oh I am not joking at all. I want these creatures off my land and quickly, therefore I am will to pay you this amount for you to do the job and quickly."

"We accept it then."

The noble man then showed them on a map where the Windspear Hills were and the best route to get there. He then stood and thanked them for their time. With a bow he bid them farewell and left.

"Well, looks like we did not have to go looking for a job but one found us!" remarked Yoshimo.

Menelanna merely nodded. She knew she needed the money to save Imoen, but something about this man just did not seem right to her.


	8. Chapter 8

This chapter our company is making their way to Windspear Hills and we finally get to learn what Menelanna's name means. ;) And I am trying to make a certain warrior-priest a bit less of an ass.

I also decided that I would start to title my chapters.

**The Heaven's Gift**

Before leaving for Windspear Hills the group decided it would be best to restock some of their supplies. They made a stop at Ribald's Adventure Mart and started to sort through the many items he had there. Kivan and Menelanna went to work restocking their arrow supply. Menelanna found herself fascinated with arrows enchanted with frost magic and decided to buy a few. A new spear for Jaheira and a wand of lightning for Xan were amongst their other purchases. It was not long after that they packed up and made their way out of the city.

The day was bright and warm which made the journey quite enjoyable. The three elves in the party talked amongst themselves in their own native tongue. The fair weather had seemed to put even Xan into a good mood; he even had a small smile on his face as Menelanna danced about in a carefree manner. Xan was not the only one who found himself unable to ignore her antics. Anomen could not take his eyes of the young ranger. Her long red hair, which was tied in tight braids as usual, dazzled him as they shown like ropes of fire as she moved about in the midday sun. Anomen sighed and turned his gaze away from the fair lady, but could not get the image of her out of his head.

They decided to set up camp a little early that day. It was their plan to reach Windspear Hills around noon the next day. As night fell Menelanna found herself sitting a little ways from their camp staring into the night sky.

"Father…how I do miss you," she whispered.

"You seem to enjoy going off by yourself don't you."

Menelanna turned to find Anomen leaning against a tree watching her.

"I was just enjoying the sight of the stars and thinking to myself."

"Menelanna, mind if ask you something?" he said as his took a seat next to her.

"You just did," she said with a grin. "But feel free to ask another of me."

Anomen gave a small laugh, "You do like to tease people!"

"Wait till you meet Imoen. Now, for you question."

"I hear that elven names always have meanings. I was just wonder, does your name have a meaning? Menelanna…" he said her name dreamily. "With your pure heart and good deeds I can imagine it means something fair indeed."

Menelanna smiled, it was a smile that had both pleasure and pain mixed in it. "Yes, my name does have a meaning." She leaned back and looked up into the sky, "You know, it was a night much like this that I asked my father…well foster father, Gorion, what my name meant. He smiled at me and took me in his arms." She paused seeming to enjoy this memory of her father. "He said he gave me a name that meant very something special to him. To him I was a gift. Not an ordinary gift, but one that seemed to come from the heaven's themselves. So that is what he named me. Menelanna, the Heaven's Gift."

"Heaven's Gift? Tis truly a beautiful meaning."

Menelanna gave a small sad laugh, "But I am no gift from heaven. A plague from hell more like it."

"No! You are by no means a plague! You are a good and pure woman. Your name suits you," Anomen spoke with determination.

"I am a spawn of Bhaal, Anomen. A child of murder cannot be a gift from heaven."

As she spoke her voice cracked and she hung her head in shame of what she was. Anomen gently put one arm around her and held her for many moments. Menelanna found herself leaning into his hold. She found comfort in his grasp and began to relax. Anomen pulled her close and she rested her head on his shoulder.

"Do not let your heritage burden you like this. Despite your dark parentage you remain a just and good woman. I believe that is why Gorion called you a Heaven's Gift," he whispered in her ear.

Menelanna could not bring herself to speak. She was stunned that anyone, especially a priest, could call her a Heaven's gift and not laugh. Her first inclination was that Anomen was mocking her, but there was only sincerity in his voice.

"Thank you," she barely whispered.

There was another silence between them as they watched the night sky together. Menelanna shivered a little due to the chill of the night. She was surprised when she found Anomen putting his cloak around her shoulders. She tried to protest, saying he needed to keep warm, but he only smile and shook his head. The two young adventures just sat there merely enjoying the company of the other. It was a while later that Anomen decided to break the silence to find out a little more about the fair lady that sat next to him.

"So this Gorion was much like a father to you. What was he like?" he inquired.

Menelanna smiled with the memory of the old man she loved so much, "He was a wise and gentle man. The monks of Candlekeep held him in high regard. In his youth he was an adventure and mage of no little skill. He would often tell Imoen and me tales of his adventures. He, not Bhaal, was my father. I loved him dearly and shall always miss him."

"Ah, I see.I must admit, my lady, that I am rather jealous of you.My own father, Lord Cor, is nothing like your Gorion and he and I did not have a good relationship," Anomen said with much pain in his voice. "If Lord Cor was not deep into his cups, he was demanding that I uphold the family honor...or telling me what a worthless son I had become. He was derisive of my choice to join the Order.He wanted me to take over his mercantile business...something I truly had no stomach for. I would have given much for my father to be my mentor...but, instead, I endured his abuse until I was able to squire for the Order.I fled as quickly as I was able to."

Menelanna put a hand on his arm and looked at him sadly. "Why do you tell me of this?"

"I...I suppose I am telling you this because you remind me a little of my sister, Moira," he seemed to have a hard speaking.** "**She is young and determined...I miss her...perhaps the only thing of my family I miss. I regret abandoning her to her fate, alone with Lord Cor...but there was...little I could do.She...I am sure she... No.Never mind.I do not wish to speak further about this, Menelanna...excuse me."

He abruptly stood up and left her. Menelanna could not help but notice the shadow of a tear in his eyes. _So it seems we both have inner demons_ she thought to herself. She stood and returned to camp. Kivan was sitting by the fire fetching some arrows as he took his watch. Anomen was no where to be seen, Menelanna sighed to herself. She guessed she would just need to give the warrior priest his space until he decided to talk to her again. She bid Kivan good night and laid herself down to reverie.


	9. Chapter 9

Again thank you for the reviews and hope you enjoy my next chapter. Also I will not be able to write as often as I may like to since college classes have just started up this week.

**Windspear Hills**

"Beast! Curs! You will die here today!" shouted a large orge.

Menelanna studied the ogre's group for a moment. It was a mixed group of orcs, ogres, and gnolls. They even had a pet wyvern with them. They appeared to be like any group of monster that Menelanna had battled before, but something in the way the ogre spoke seemed out of place. It seemed to her almost as if there was another adventure like herself but in a monsters body.

"Wait! I would speak with you. You seem quite fluent in the common tongue for one like yourself."

"No! I will not brandy words with a beast like you. Your evil ends today!"

Menelanna sighed, "If that is how you will have it then so be it. You will not defeat us for Soloron guides my bow!"

With that the battle began.

--------

"_What is this" _the paladin wondered _"A group of monsters lead by a female is odd enough but she evokes the name of the Seldarine? Something must not be right here. Helm lead me!" _

Adjantis had an odd feeling that this battle should not be happening. Part of him desired to stop the fight, but seeing these monsters in front of him and slaying his comrades urged him to fight. He managed to get to the one who appeared to be their leader. Upon being forced into melee the female ogre dropped her bow to the ground and drew her blades. She was very nimble for an ogre which caught the seasoned paladin off guard.

"_How is it that such a beast fights as an elf would?"_

His foe managed to get past his defenses and he felt a burning pain in his side as her blade pierced him. He stumbled to the ground and his world started to darken.

_"So this is how it ends? Helm forgive me."_

As his world faded away he heard a feminine scream of horror and surprise. Somehow it sounded familiar to him, he tried to place what I could be…but then all went black.

--------

Menelanna fell to her knees in horror. As her final enemy fell the illusion was lifted. Before them were no longer monsters, but the bodies of knight of the Order of the Radiant Heart.

"Helm beard! What have we done? At my feet lay the knights of the Order! What have we done?"

Anomen and everyone else were just as horrified as Menelanna by what had occurred. Menelanna removed the helm of her the knight she had felled and screamed as she recognized him to be one of her former companions.

"A..Adjantis! No! By the Seldarine how could this have happened!"

"What goes on here? I've seen many a strange thing in my time, but the events of the past few moments top them all," a new voice called. "Who are you that can change shape so easily? And why have you slain these beasts that became men?"

The man was plainly dressed but has the look of noble about him. He eyed the group suspiciously unsure of what to make of the scene he had just witnessed.

"It appears we have been tricked into slaying these knights," explained Jaheira.

"This is dire news indeed. The senior members of the Order will not believe what has happened. They will seek justice, and only your heads will suffice."

"We are doomed," moaned Xan.

Anomen tried to speak but found no words would come out of his mouth. Menelanna was not even listening; it seemed as if she had not even noticed the newcomer. She was solely focused the still body of Adjantis before her.

"Is there nothing that can be done to help us?" inquired Kivan.

"If I could be so bold," the man went on. "You could take sanctuary with me until you discover how this has come to pass. I am not without contacts, and perhaps I can help you find out what happened here."

"We would be most grateful sir," Anomen managed to say, but his face was downcast and he looked about as hopeless as Xan did.

The man's eyes then went to Menelanna who was still kneeling by the paladin's body. She was shaking and tears were streaming down her face. She started to reach a hand out towards the body but suddenly halted.

"Will she be alright?" he asked.

"I think our young leader is overly shocked by this occurrence," Yoshimo said from the shadows he had been sulking in the entire time.

The man nodded understandingly, "A nights rest would do you all some good, please come with me. My home is not far from here."

He turned and began to lead the way. One by one the companions started to follow. Menelanna could not bring herself to her feet. Xan came next to her and gently took her arm and tried to lead her away. She broke free from his grasp and finally mustered enough courage to place her hand on Adjantis' face. Xan shook his head muttering something about it all being futile. Menelanna closed her eyes and began to whisper a prayer for her former friend. Her sensitive fingers felt a small pulse on the man's neck.

"_No he can't be…my mind is playing tricks on me…" _she leaned closers and noticed that he was still breath, barely but breathing none the less.

She gasped and called out, "He is still alive!"

----------

After Jaheira had cast a few healing spells upon the paladin Minsc and Anomen helped carry his still prone body to the near by cabin. They laid him the bed that their host had provided for them. After Anomen had treated him with a few more healing spells and was sure that Adjantis would live he left the man to rest. He came out and found the rest of his companions stilling around a table with their host.

"We thank you for your hospitality good sir," Menelanna spoke. "But we do not even know your name."

"I am Garren Windspear," he began, "once lord of these lands. I had many holds across Amn at one point; but taken from me, it was, almost overnight. I still bear the scars in my dreams. I am content now however, having found solace in the quiet of the woods. But I will forevermore curse the name of Lord Jierdan Firkraag."

"Firkraag! That is the man who hired us to come out here to…kill orcs…"Menelanna's voice trailed off. "So he was the one who tricked us into killing these knights! I shall see him dead for this!"

Garren began to pace about the room. "Regardless, he is not the worst of your worries. The Order of the Most Radiant Heart will seek your death if something is not done quickly."

"What can be done?" Anomen asked.

"I can help you in making sure your name is clear with the Order," a voice grunted behind them.

They turned to see Adjantis standing at the doorway leaning heavily upon the wall. Menelanna jump to her feet and rushed over to him.

"You should not be up! You are still healing from your wounds. I am so dearly sorry for what has happened…I" she began to explain.

Adjantis just smiled and waved her off, "I understand what has happened and you do not need to worry about it, Menelanna. But my fallen knights must have vengeance done upon them, and it is this Firkraag, not you, who is responsible for their deaths!"

"You are not yet fit to journey to the Order's headquarters Sir. I would subject you stay here and heal. I will go and tell the Prelate what has occurred," Garren said.

Adjantis nodded, "And I will give you a letter with my seal to ensure that they believe your story."

"Thank you very much both of you," Menelanna said quietly. She then turned and gave Adjantis a stern look, "Now you should get back in bed and rest. You are not yet well enough to be moving about."

Adjantis laughed, and then coughed a little when his side gave him a sharp pain. Menelanna gave an "I told you so look" and Adjantis put up his hand in surrender and smiled at her.

"Alright you win. You are about as stubborn as a dwarf you know that right?" With that he went back to his bed and was asleep almost immediately.

Soon after everyone else decided that they too should get some rest. Garren bid them a good night and promised that he would set off to the Order's headquarters in the morning.


	10. Chapter 10

**Meeting Lord Firkraag**

In the morning Garren Windspear bid his guests goodbye and promised them to do all he could to clear their names with the Order. Menelanna thanked him for his hospitality and kindness. She promised to stay at the cabin to keep an eye on the recuperating Ajantis and to make sure Garren's son, Taar, did not get into trouble. Ajantis was much better than he was the day before and was well enough to be moving around. He decided to take a walk around the land with his former leader to find out what she had been up to since they went their separate ways. When Ajantis left the cabin he found that Menelanna had already gone off by herself on a walk. He found her by a near by stream enjoying the peace of the wilderness.

"You should not go off by yourself Menelanna. You do not know what might be out here."

Menelanna turned to regard him and smirked, "You sound like Jaheira. You should know that I can take care of myself."

Ajantis let out a small laugh, "I know that well, but would you mind a bit of company? I thought it would be good for us to catch up. I have not seen you since we parted ways in Nashkel. Though I have heard of some of your deeds after that in Baldur's Gate."

"Very well let us catch up then my friend. I see you are now a full member of the Order. Congratulations _Sir _Ajantis," she said with a broad smile.

"Thank you," he smile back as he sat next to her.

They spent the next few hours sharing tales of their deeds since they left each others company. Menelanna decided to give the paladin a full account of what occurred in Baldur's Gate, including the discovery of her heritage. He just nodded grimly saying he had heard whispered rumors about her lineage. He was sincerely grieved to learn of the deaths of their former companions and of Imoen's capture. He promised to look into the matter and see if he could find any information about the issue for her. Their conversation continued on in a pleasant manner until they heard Jaheira's call.

"Bandits! Everyone get back here!"

Menelanna leapt up and ran off to the battle before Ajantis could even get to his feet. The bandit group consisted of both orcs and humans. Kivan and Yoshimo were firing off arrows at their foes. Jaheira had cast an entanglement spell to stop some of their enemies in their tracks. Both Anomen and Minsc were engaged in melee combat. Menelanna cursed her luck for leaving her weapons in the cabin. An orc ran towards her sword held high, but then suddenly fell dead as a spell hit him from behind. Menelanna gave Xan a nod of thanks as she picked up the fallen orcs sword and ran into battle. Taar, who heard the commotion of battle, stepped outside to see what was going on.

"Get back in the house boy!" yelled Menelanna, but it was too late. A mage suddenly appeared behind the lad and disappeared with him just as quickly. "Damn, they have captured Garren's child!"

The battle continued on for a few moments longer. Soon all the bandits were slain and the companions gathered around.

"This is not good," sighed Menelanna. "We have best clear these bodies and prepare to tell Garren what has occurred when he returns."

----------

When Garren returned he was as upset as Menelanna had expected him to be.

"My son! My son is gone! I left this place in your care! I... no, no. I know it was not you. I know my enemies. Damn Jierdan Firkraag, what is his grief with me? This must end! I cannot live under his shadow... under his heel!"

"We will save your son, you have my word," state Menelanna.

"But do you even know where to look?"

"We will find a way," the elf said confidently.

Garren sat down heavily in his chair and buried his head in his hand.

"You… you will travel unchallenged," said Garren in a whispered tone. "My pleas of your virtue were heard by the squires."

"Thank you for your aid good sir," Anomen said.

"Yes thank you very much. Now, let us be off to find Taar."

"I am coming with you," Ajantis stated who now stood in the doorway in full armor. "This Firkraag must pay for the grief he has caused this man and for the deaths of my knights."

Menelanna opened her mouth to protest. Ajantis just held up his hand to silence her and shook his head. She sighed and agreed knowing there was going to be no way she was going per sway the paladin otherwise.

"Lets go then."

-----------

As soon as the group exited the building a halfling ran up to Menelanna and handed her a not. He looked nervous and unsure of himself.

"A man from Firkraag told me to give this to you. Now if you would excuse me it is time for me to leave this place." He turned and ran off without another word.

Menelanna looked down at the folded note she had been handed. There was a seal upon it in the shape of a dragon done in red wax. She assumed this was Firkraag's crest and opened the note and read it aloud.

_Menelanna,_

_I give you the opportunity to earn back your honor, and more. This game is interesting, but it drags on and on. Come, let us meet and decide who is the better 'person'. In the northeast is our battleground. You will know it to see it. Yes, I think you will know._

"The better 'person'? What could he mean by that?" asked Kivan.

"Well we won't find out by just standing here now will we? To the northeast then, be wary of any traps along the way."

It did not take the part long to find the entrance to some ruins. It appeared to be quite a majestic place. Menelanna found the entrance a little foreboding though. Two intricately carved dragons rose on each side of the gigantic doorway, their heads leering down at all who dared approach. Each member of the party wore a determined expression as the entered the ruins. Their welcome party consisted of party of ogres, which were soon dispatched. The companions fought their way though the dungeon fighting nothing more powerful than orc archers. They did encounter a few undead, but with a priest and a paladin in the group they offered no real threat. It was went they opened a locked door that they were greeted in a manner that caught the elven ranger off guard.

"I warn you, I have killed many of your brethren to get this... oh!" a woman began, upon realizing that the ones she faced were not the monsters that inhabited the ruins she sighed with relief. "Forgive my manner. I feared you were another group of orcs, come to harass me."

Menelanna looked up in surprise, "I have been called many things before, 'orc' has not been one of them though. It is good to see a non hostile face down here, but may I ask what exactly you are doing here? This is not exactly the best place for a picnic."

"I am Samia, and it would appear we are in the same situation. Have you come searching for the tomb as well? I was not aware of another expedition," the woman replied.

"Expedition? No, we are not on an expedition. We are on a rescue mission and are in a hurry. I wish you luck, now if you would excuse us," Menelanna gave a small bow and made to leave.

"Wait! Would you not help us? We cannot get past this door…" Samia began.

"No. I am sorry but we must save the life of a young man and do not have the time to aid you in this expedition. Good day to you." Menelanna turned again and started to walk off her companions close behind.

"Blast," Samia yelled. "I hoped to get you to do the grunt work... I'll do it, but not with you at my back. You'd leave me dead and take whatever I found... that's what I was planning with you!" She turned quickly, fiddling with the wall she'd been examining, allowing part of it to swing open and reveal several other people. "Akae! The plan did not work! Strike now!"

Before Menelanna could properly react Samia and her companions attacked. The elf let out a stream of curses and she drew her blades and entered the battle. Yoshimo and Kivan quickly began to fire their arrows at the opposing parties mage to try and intrupt his spells. Xan went to work casting his chaos spell, which ended up living up to its name as the a few of their enemies either began fighting each other or just halted and started at the ceiling. In a few minutes their last foe fell with a sweep of Minsc's mighty blade.

"Well _that _went well," said the annoyed Jaheira.

"Hey! This was not my fault so stop looking at me like that!" exclaimed Menelanna.

"I did not say it was your fault, child," the druid said calmly.

"And don't call me child!"

With that Menelanna turned around sharply and lead the way down the dark hallway in hopes of finding Garren's child.

---------

Minsc and Anomen lead the way into what appeared to be the room where Taar was being held captive. It was heavily guarded by several orcs and an ogre. Kivan went pale as a sheet as he recognized the ogre as Tazok, the beast who had murdered his beloved wife.

"Tazok! I thought we killed you along with Sarevok!" gasped Menelanna.

"You monster! I will kill you a thousand times if needed!" Kivan roared in his rage.

Tazok leered at Kivan and wore an evil grin, "I will have to remember this. Kill an elf and save their mate. Leads to a life time of fun!" He then turned his gaze to Menelanna, "Sarevok was weak, my new master had me resurrected and is much more powerful than that idiot."

Xan moaned and muttered something darkly under his breath that the rest of the party just ignored. Menelanna just shrugged, "Well I guess we will just have to kill you again. You will not get in the way of us saving Garren's child!"

Kivan drew out his spear and immediately attacked Tazok. Menelanna knew that it was a battle he needed to do by himself so she drew her bow and concentrated on picking off the orcs in the room. Kivan nimbly dogged Tazok's great sword and managed to drive his spear into the ogre's leg. The enchantment in the spear took effect as Tazok was soon entangled in vines. Kivan then leapt back out of reach of the ogres range and grimly took out his bow. With the ogre trapped firmly in place by the magical vines Kivan easily was able to place an arrow into Tazok's throat. Menelanna and the others were soon finished with orcs that had been in the room. Menelanna then turned her attention to Kivan, who's eyes were fixed on Tazok's body. He turned his gaze to the younger ranger at his side, his eyes dark and unreadable. When his spoke his voice was hoarse and dry.

"I do not expect you understand what I am about to do, but I must do it."

Menelanna calmly placed a hand on his arm, "Do not expect me to understand? Try me."

"Menelanna, mellonamin, comrade-at-arms - forgive me for being curt. I do not want to explain myself just now," he said, trying to control the emotion in his voice. "I am going to cut his heart out of his chest and keep it with me. Anyone who wishes to resurrect him again will have to wrest it from me first."

"I cannot let you do that, my friend. You know as well as I that it is against the ranger's creed to defile a body," she said as she grimly shook her head. She then reach up and turned his face to make him look her in the eye. "Do not let him destroy you. Do not turn into him by these actions."

Kivan took a deep breath and slowly calmed himself, "You are right. T-thank you for you help mellonamin." He then turned his back to his tormentor's body and did not speak again.

It was at this time that Menelanna began to examine the room. There were two cells on one of the walls. One of which held Taar. The lad seemed in good enough health, but was in distress. Menelanna waved off his warnings of Firkraag with a calming smile, and asked Yoshimo to open the lock. The thief examined the lock for several minutes and tried several different techniques to open if before confirming that it could not be opened without its key. Minsc looked at one end of the room and spotted a flight of stair that went down.

"Boo say that maybe we should go downstairs. Maybe we find the way to open the cage."

"Alright, lets head on down then."

The stairway lead to a large open cavern. As they entered they were greeted by a booming voice.

"Welcome. You have come as I wanted. It has been an interesting game, but to tell the truth, I tire of it." The group looked up to see that the voice belonged to a very smug looking red dragon.

"Ah….Hells!" cursed Menelanna.


	11. Chapter 11

Took me a little while to update huh? Well hope you like this new chapter. And I apologize in advance for what I did but I had to do it! Read to find out what I speak of. Enjoy!

**A Great Loss**

"A dragon! By the Great Archer a dragon! Just my luck I guess," Menelanna shouted.

"Do you have any idea what kind of power this creature has? We cannot hope to defeat it," Xan whispered in her ear.

"We have come for Garren's child, and we shall get him no matter what," the ranger shot back.

Menelanna then turned and gave an icy stare toward the dragon. Well, as much of an icy stare as one could give to a red dragon that towered over them. Behind her she heard her companions tense, all of them ready to leap into action at any moment.

"I tire of this as well, dragon. Tell me, why would I be of any interest to you?"

"For my amusement," replied Firkraag casually, "for my curiosity, and for my memory of transgressions long since past. All of this spurred me on, but now I grow bored with you."

"Your amusement! I am not here to amuse you or anyone else. And what transgressions? I have done nothing to you…yet."

The dragon let out a sigh which sent a wave of hot air over the companions. "Very well, an in-depth response. Your fathers are my interest. Your lineage crosses the mortal and spiritual and both concern me somewhat. Gorion raised you; I know this from my own spies and followers. They are subtle when I wish it. Gorion was as much your father as anyone. He was also an adventurer in his day, and crossed my path long ago. He and his Harper friends." He shot a quick glance at Jaheira who tensed under his gaze. "I bear the scars of that meeting. He is beyond my revenge, being dead as he is. So, I settled for the next best thing... I can torment his spirit by destroying you. Wherever he is, he is seething." A wicked smile spead across the dragon's face.

Menelanna could feel hot blood rushing to her face as her anger grew. Firkraag merely looked down at her and let out a deep rumbling chuckle that echoed through the cavern.

"You did all this just because of something my father did in his youth! All this over a grudge with a dead man!"

"I had toyed with forgetting it all," Firkraag admitted. "It has not been that long in dragon terms though. It was your other father who made me curious however." He then raised one of his large claws and propped up his head. He looked down at the elven ranger with amused intriguement. Menelanna was serious getting tired of that smug look on the dragon's face. At that moment she wish she had been born about thirty feet taller just so she could smash that looked of his face! Firkraag just found the elf's growing anger all the more amusing, he let out another little laugh before continuing.

"You are a Child of Bhaal; what an interesting subject to study, or so I thought. Really, you are not so different, despite your little personal struggles. What will be interesting will be your conflict with Irenicus. That is something I would very much like to see - so I leave you your life. Do with it what you will."

"Gods! Who in the Reamls doesn't know I am a Child of Bhaal!" shouted Menelanna.

"I did not," quipped Yoshimo from the shadows. It was true, it struck Menelanna at that moment, Yoshimo was the only one who had not found out about what she was.

"Well now is the time to discuss it," she snapped. She then suddenly seemed to remember that Firkraag had mentioned Irenicus. She tensed and slow turned to stare up at the dragon. "What do you know about Irenicus," she said coldly.

"I will have no dealings with that creature," replied Firkraag in an almost bored tone of voice. "I am merely interested in _your_ confrontation with him. Yes, that will be something to see. But for now, you bore me. I will taunt you no more. This has been such sport that I bear you no ill will. You may go." He lifted one of his large claws and gave them a dismissive wave as if giving them permission to leave his grand presence.

"We will not leave here with out Garren's son!" shouted Ajantis.

Menelanna nodded gravely in agreement, "You know this."

"Do I now?" he replied in a taunting voice. "Oh, very well." He sighed. "The brat was but a by-product of my scrutiny of you anyway. The child has proven no more intelligent than its father. I had finished taunting him some years ago; it was only your arrival that brought him into this."

"His suffering never ended," she hissed. "You took his lands!"

"I think he is actually happier now that the burden of leadership has been lifted," remarked Firkraag. "Such resilience took all the fun out of his downfall. All that is left for me to do is kill him and take the deed to the land Here," he said, sounding bored and annoyed by the elf's continued persistence, "rescue the child from my servant." A that moment a hood man in robes stepped out from Firkraag's shadow. "Feel fulfilled if you succeed. Do not think that it will be easy - I test my servants thusly all the time and they know that failure is death. Conster! Go to the child - if the elf fails to take it from you, kill it."

"Yes my master," Conster said with an evil grin. With a wave of his hand the mage disappeared through a magic portal.

Menelanna scowled at the dragon, "I will kill you. Once I have saved Garren's child, I will kill you."

Menelanna turned and ran out of the cavern before the dragon could make a response. She did not want to hear anything else from that smug creature. _I will knock that look off your face when I kill you_ she though darkly. Behind her she heard her companions running after her.

Menelanna did not stop running until she entered the room where Taar had been locked up. Conster was sitting at a table in the middle of the room, looking as smug as his master. The mage looked up and was about to tell the elf how foolish she was before launching his spells at her. Unfortunately for him Menelanna was in no mood for talk. As soon as she entered the room she launched an arrow into the man throat before he could even rise from his seat and speak. As the others filed into the room they gave her a surprised look. Yoshimo just shrugged and went to work searching the man's corpse.

"It is unlike you to kill a man while he is not prepared for battle," the druid observed quietly.

"It was his own foolishness that caused him to be unprepared. He knew we were coming," she remarked coldly.

Jaheira was about to respond, when Yoshimo produced a key from Conster's belt. Menelanna snatched the key from the rouge and unlocked Taar's cell.

"Come on lad, we will make sure you get home safely."

No one spoke at all during the journey back to Garren's home.

-------------

Garren was overjoyed to see his son home safe and sound. He thanked them several times and insisted that they rest and stay the night.

"It seems reasonable that we should rest here tonight," Menelanna said calmly. "As we are going to go kill Firkraag's tomorrow."

"W..What? Menelanna you can't be serious! He is a dragon…a _dragon_…it is hopeless to fight such a creature!" Xan moaned.

"Such an evil needs to be vanquished. I will fight by your side my friend," declared Ajantis.

"As will I, my lady," Anomen said quickly. He seemed eager to stay by the elf's side and impress her.

One by one each of her companions declared that they would join her in the fight. Xan just moaned about how hopeless it was but in the end agreed to come as well.

-----------

In the morning the party prepared themselves and set out to return to Frikraag's lair. They paused outside of the entrance to his cave to discuss battle preparations. Anomen, Minsc, and Ajantis were to be the front linemen, while Jaheira and Xan back them up with their spells. Menelanna, Kivan, and Yoshimo's job was to distract the dragon with their arrows for as long as they could. Each member drew their weapons and prepared to enter the cavern. Xan, Jaheira, and Anomen administered buffing spells to their warriors to make them stronger and able to resist both fire and whatever spells the dragon may through their way.

When the entered Frikraag's lair, he looked up and regarded them with interest.

"So you have returned," he said calmly.

"So glad you are a master of the obvious. It is as I said, we have come to end your wretched life."

It was then that the dragon raised himself up and stretched in a cat like manner and unfolded his great wings. He then looked down at them with a fire in his eyes that promised them a painful death. "It is as they say 'your funeral.'"

With that the party sprang into motion. Yoshimo, Menelanna, and Kivan split and each went to a different corner of the room and began to pelt the dragon with their magical arrows. Minsc gave a might roar and charged the enemy while Anomen spent his prayers to Helm and was blessed with a spiritual hammer that appeared in his hand. Jaheira began to summon allies, more to distract the dragon than anything else. As Ajantis ran into battle Xan began to go to work at removing the beast's magical protections.

The annoyed dragon knocked Minsc away with a casual sweep of his might claw. The three archers hailed him with arrow while desperately looking for the slightest opening in his armored hide to pierce. Just a Jaheira entered into melee battle Xan removed the last of Firkraag's magical protections and began to shoot off acid arrows at him.

One of Xan's spells hit the dragon painfully in the side of the head. He raised his head and let out a roar of sheer anger and turned his gaze upon the enchanter. Xan paled drastically as the dragon took a deep intake of air as he prepared to spew his fiery breath. The enchanter knew that he did not have the time to move out of the way or put up the proper protections. He closed his eyes preparing to die. Menelanna screamed out as she saw the dragon prepare to let lose his fire. Upon impulse she grabbed one of her arrows enchanted with ice and shot the dragon square in the mouth. If they had not been in such a dire situation Menelanna would have laughed at the sight she saw. For upon impact the arrow froze the dragon's mouth in place, preventing him from spewing his deadly breath.

Frikraag was forced to claw away the ice that held his great maw in place. This left him exposed to the attacks of the melee fighters as they attacked his now exposed belly. Xan shot Menelanna a quick glance, thanking her for saving his life. She gave him a smile before returning to the battle. It did not take long for Frikraag to free his jaws, and now his was thoroughly angry. He took out his anger on Minsc who was shouting and running about the dragon's feet as he hacked away at the creature's tough hide.

Faster than anyone could react the dragon made a great sweep with his claw and pinned the berserker again the cavern wall. A sickening crack could be heard as Frikraag crushed Minsc's body under his powerful grasp. Everyone watched in horror as the large warrior then fell to the ground limp as a rag doll.

Menelanna let out an enraged scream. She held back tears as she dropped her bow and made a run toward the dragon. With her naturally elven dexterity she dodged the dragon's sweeping claws. She leapt upon the beast's tail and began to climb up the dragon's back. It was a miracle she managed to stay on long enough to reach his head. She quickly removed her cloak while holding onto Firkraag's horns and threw it over his eyes. The dragon, enraged at his sudden lose of sight, began to shake his head to and fro trying to remove both elf and cloak. Menelanna quickly drew one of her blades and managed to drive it into a small exposed part of the dragon's neck and used it as an anchor for herself.

A blade being stabbed into his neck did not do anything to lighten Firkraag's mood. With a sudden toss of his head he managed to send the elf flying through the air. She crashed into wall and fell to ground unmoving. Determined to completely destroy the body of the annoying little elf Frikraag turned toward her and prepared himself to throw his flaming breath at her.

Ajantis cried out as he noticed Menelanna's body lay unmoving on the ground. He was about to charge the dragon when he heard Xan call out for him to stop. Everyone regarded Xan as he removed a wand from his belt. The enchanter fixed his eyes upon the sword which was still embedded in Firkraag's neck. As the dragon inhaled Xan let a shot of lighting spew from the wands tip. The lighting arched through the cavern and contacted with the sword. Using the sword as a conductor the magical lighting entered the dragon's body. Frikraag roared out in pain, no longer being able to concentrate enough to breathe his fire. His body tensed as the electricity raced through him and with a sudden jolt he fell to the ground. The great body of the red dragon twitched for several moments before finally going still. The dragon was dead.

Xan and Anomen immediately ran to where Menelanna's broken body lay. Several of her bone had broken from the impact of her fall and she lay in a pool of her own blood. Xan feared the worst but could see that she was still breathing…barely. Anomen wasted no time in administering his healing spells to stabilize the elf's condition. He then got up and ran to where Jaheira sat next to Minsc's body. One look at the tearful druid answered his question; the berserker was dead.

Anomen and Ajantis took the grave task of carrying Minsc's body away from their battlefield. Xan cradled the unconscious Menelanna in his arms and with the rest of the party as they left Firkraag's lair far behind.


	12. Chapter 12

Yes I know it took me long enough to get this up. Well hope you enjoy it. Now at a writters block for the next chapter though.

**Recovery and Grief **

Upon Jaheira's suggestion the party decided to return to Garren's home. Night was beginning to fall by the time they arrived. Garren Windspear and his son ran out to greet the adventurers. They were delighted to hear of the dragon's death. Their joy was soon turned to pain when they noticed the body of the fallen berserker and the still unconscious form of the young ranger.

Garren lead them to a place where they could lay Minsc's body and prepare him for burial later. Xan then followed him to a bed where he laid Menelanna down. Anomen and Jaheira entered the room to perform healing for the ranger. Jaheira ushered the men out of the room while she removed Menelanna's armor and dressed her wounds. Once Anomen was allowed back in, the pair spent the next two hours using their combined healing powers to mend the ranger's cuts and breaks. By the time night had fully come both healers were exhausted. Although Anomen knew he needed rest, he insisted that Menelanna should not be left alone and offered to watch over her that night.

The party agreed that that would be best. Although Xan did look a little annoyed about the fact that the priest wanted to be alone with their leader. Kivan looked between the enchanter and the priest and smirked to himself. It was quite obvious to him that both men were quite taken by the younger ranger. He wondered if Menelanna was even aware of the men's attentions. Despite his mussing of romance for his friend, his thoughts darkened. When she awoke she would find out about Minsc's death. Kivan was well worried about how his young kinswoman would take the news. _"She will blame herself," _were his thoughts.

-----------

Anomen sat in a chair next to Menelanna's bed. Jaheira had removed her armor and placed her in a simple loose dress. It dawned on the young knight that this was the first time he had ever seen her out of her armor. He found her extremely beautiful in this simple garb. Laying there she did not appear to be the fierce Bhaalspawn who had just killed a dragon; instead she seemed more like a sleeping beauty waiting for her knight's kiss to break the spell upon her. Anomen found himself leaning close to the sleeping maiden. Her hair was unbound, another first for him, and was neatly spread out on her pillow. Anomen reached forward and gently move lone lock away from her face. It's softness reminded him of the finest Calishman silks.

Anomen had not realize how deeply he was staring at the lovely Menelanna until a knock at the door caused him to snap back to attention. The door opened slowly and Xan walked in quietly. He gave the sleeping elf a look of concern before addressing Anomen.

"His is she?" he asked in a hushed voice, not wanting to wake the ranger.

"Her wounds are mended, but she lost a lot of blood today. She will need several days of rest, but she will live."

The enchanter let out a sigh of relief, "That is good to hear."

Xan looked over the larger man. Anomen was clearly exhausted Large black circles hung under his eyes and his body sagged in the chair.

"Get some rest. I will stay with her for the rest of the night." Anomen opened his mouth to try and argue. Xan held up a hand and shook his head, "If she awakens and needs aid I will come and get you or Jaheira. You are exhausted and you are out of healing spell. Get some rest, you need it."

Anomen sighed and nodded in agreement. He slowly rose to his feet and gave Menelanna one more look of concern.

"She is an amazing…leader, is she not?" he almost said to himself.

"She is. And you? Are you an eager…follower?" Xan asked with a raised brow.

"I do not need to answer that question," Anomen remarked hotly.

"Oh, but I believe you have."

Anomen gave him an annoyed look before turning and silently leaving the room. Xan took the seat next to Menelanna's bed and looked over her sleeping form.

"How is this possible? The great and powerful daughter of Bhaal. She looks so vulnerable, so innocent…so beautiful." Xan shook his head and chided himself, "This is hopeless, she is doomed. Don't let yourself get too attached to her. It will only lead to more pain," the enchanter whispered to himself. He sighed, despite his best efforts he knew he could not deny the truth. He loved her.

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The moon was high in the shy when Xan had drifted into a light sleep. A faint groan immediately awoke him. Menelanna was drenched in sweat and there was a pained look upon her fair face. Xan felt her fore head and checked her body, but saw no evidence of fever or physical pain. _"A nightmare. She is having another nightmare,"_ Xan realized. He used the sleeve of his robe and began to mop her face. With a gasp Menelanna's eyes sprang opened. Xan whispered comforting words in her ear as she began to cry.

"Shhh…it is alright. It was another nightmare."

"I saw him again…I-I cannot rest without seeing his face," she barely managed to whisper.

"Hush…here let me help you. Take my hand. If you will allow me, I can share reverie with you and guide your visions. You just have to trust me."

Menelanna shut her eyes and nodded. Xan knelt by the bed and touch her forehead with his. He took her hand in his. "Allow me to show you my memories of Evereska,"he whispered to her as they drifted off into their peaceful reverie.

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Jaheira and Kivan came together to check on Menelanna. The sun had risen and began its assent into the sky. Kivan estimated that it was about mid morning. As the pair entered the room they saw the two elves still as they had been last night. Their heads touching and hands clasped together.

"They shared a reverie," Kivan observed.

Jaheira nodded, "So it would seem."

Xan stirred then. He raised his head and gave Menelanna a fond look and let one of his fingers stroke her pale cheek. A cough behind made him aware of the other presence in the room. He turned and stammered a good morning, looking thoroughly embarrassed.

Jaheira gave him a wry smile, "Sleep well?"

A faint moan brought their attention back to the bed. Menelanna had awoken and was trying to raise herself up. Kivan quickly moved by his friend's side and put a hand on her shoulder to stay her.

"Do not get up, mellonamin. You have not fully recovered from yesterday's battle."

"How are you feeling, child?"

"A bit weak," she admitted. "I would feel better if you would stop calling me 'child' though!"

"Well I see her attitude had not changed!" remarked the druid.

"Not much can change it," the elf shot back with a weak smile. He smile faded and turned into a look of concern. "Tell me, how do the others fair? I see you three are unharmed, but what of our other friends?"

The three others present in the room suddenly grew grave. None of them seemed willing to meet her eyes or speak. By her friend's sudden silence, she knew. Menelanna knew someone had fallen.

"Who?" she managed to ask.

Jaheira took a deep breath before speaking, "Minsc fell in battle." When the half-elf looked up, Menelanna could see there were tears running down her cheeks. "There was nothing we could do to save him."

Menelanna laid her head back into the pillow and let her tears run free. Minsc, another of her most trusted companions, was dead. Another person she loved had died because of her. This was another death which had been lain upon her shoulders.

----------

Anomen and Jaheira forced Menelanna to stay in bed for at least two days. By the third day, not even Corellon himself could keep the young ranger in bed. She stood by Minsc's cold body in the light of the sun's first rays. They were going to bury him today. Menelanna still could not believe that the large man was truly dead. Boo laid on Minsc's chest barely moving. Only the small twitching of his whiskers showed that the hamster was even alive.

"You must be affected by his passing most," she said quietly. The approach of footsteps told her it was time for the ceremony. "Come, it is time," she said as sheput her hand next to Boo. He gave Minsc a small sniff, as if saying a final goodbye, before crawling into Menelanna's hand.

The ceremony was simple. Anomen, being the only priest around, preformed the rites. They lowered the mighty warrior into the ground and laid his sword upon his chest. A small monument was erected to show his resting place. Menelanna and Boo were the last ones to leave the grave site.


	13. Chapter 13

Okay…I have FINALLY got this done. So you can stop nagging me now! This is not my best chapter, but it will do for what I needed it for. This one also is a bit heave on the dialog so sorry. I needed a few conversations to go on: a heart to heart take, a telling off, and an apology. Hopefully now that I am past my writer's block I will be able to get my next few chapters off quickly, just need to find the time to write. Well enjoy!

**A New Companion**

Menelanna, as her usual habit, sat alone by the bank of the river. _"Well not completely alone,_" Menelanna thought. Boo was curled up in her lap sleeping soundly. Ever since Minsc's burial the hamster had refused to leave her. She wondered why the animal wanted to be with her so much. It was her fault that Minsc was dead; it was her fault that Boo had lost his ranger companion. She was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she did not notice Kivan's presence until he sat next to her.

"You know, with the amount of time you spend alone, many would think you serve Fenmarel instead of Soloron."

"Is it a problem if a girl wants some time to herself?"

"No, but you do spend a lot of time alone. You seem almost afraid to get too close to anyone."

The younger elf opened her mouth to protest, but quickly snapped it shut and looked away. He was right. She did not want to get too close to anyone for fear that they too would be stolen away from her.

"You have change," Kivan observed. "You did not use to be like this. What has happened?"

"Nothing, nothing at all. I just need some time to think to myself," she lied.

Kivan shook his head, "I know you too well to know that there is something bothering you. It is this Irenicus, is it not? What did he do to you?"

When Menelanna stiffened Kivan knew he had guessed accurately.

"I do not want to think about it. I just want to forget," she said stiffly.

"It can be more dangerous to forget. Please talk to me, mellonamin," he said softly.

The younger ranger was silent for a long while. Kivan sat there patiently waiting for her to speak. When she finally began her voice was weak and shaky. "I-I was kept in a cage. I could not move, I could not see, there was only darkness in my world." She paused and breathed deeply before continuing, "How long I was kept there I do not know. I was in constant pain and barely able to remain conscious. When I did come to, all I can remember is seeing him. He would talk to me, but I could not hear his words." Tears began to run down her cheeks as she spoke, Kivan took her hand to comfort her. "He used spells on me. Sometimes summoning vines to lash my skin and suffocate me, other times bathing me in flames. But that was not the worst of it…h-he would enter my mind. Tear though my thoughts and memories. I-I can hardly remember much of my life before he caught me…"

Kivan took the young girl in his arms and held her as she cried. It was at times like these that he would be reminded about how young she truly was. "I know it is hard, but is there anything you can remember about your captor? What did he look like?"

"H-he wore a mask," she whispered between her tears. "All I can remember are his eyes. Blue eyes, bright blue eyes…"

The stoic ranger brought Menelanna closer into his embrace with a worried expression on his face. _"Bright blue eyes? But only…no it can't be. It just can't!" _

--------------

After a while Kivan decided that he would leave the younger ranger alone. Menelanna sat there in silence alone with her thoughts. She blamed herself for Minsc's death. If she had not lead them to do battle with the dragon he would still be alive.

"_You are not to blame," _a small voice said in her head. Menelanna jumped in surprise and looked around for the owner of the voice. When she gazed downward she saw Boo staring up at her twitching his whiskers.

"_Yes it is me who is talking to you!"_ the hamster said.

"_So you _did _talk to Minsc after all!"_

"_Yes I did and now I talk to you. You are not to blame for. You are not responsible for Minsc's death," _the hamster said calmly.

Menelanna was taken back by the hamster's words. She was responsible for his death! She was the one who lead him to the battle that killed him!

"_You may have been the one who lead him into a dangerous battle, but he willingly followed knowing the dangers. He died a valiant death; do not ruin his memory by feeling guilty for yourself. Minsc would not want it."_

Boo was right, Menelanna knew that. She let out a long sigh, _"You are right. I do a dishonor to him by feeling this way. Let us return to the others, I think I have spent enough time alone for one day."_

"_Good! And by the way, I am now your companion!"_

"_Do I have a choice in the matter?"_

"_None! Besides you need my guidance right now," _the hamster said matter-of-factly.

_Gods! Now I have a hamster telling what do to! _The elf thought to herself as she placed Boo on her shoulder.

"_You need to learn how to guard your thoughts now. I can hear everything you think!"_

She blushed, slightly embarrassed as she and her new companion made their way back to Garren's home.

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Menelanna entered the household and was greeted by her friends sitting there. Everyone was present except for the thief.

"Where is Yoshimo?" she inquired.

"He said something about 'not letting a dragon's hoard go to waste' and left on his own. He would not let any of us go with him," Anomen informed her.

"Someone should have gone with him! No one should enter a dragon's lair alone, even if the dragon is dead!"

"I assure you I can take care of myself."

The elf turned to see Yoshimo standing in the doorway with a full sack. He smiled brightly as he laid out his findings for all to see. Amongst them were scales from the dragon's hide, an ornate sword, and a large sum of gold. Gold that would help rescue Imoen. Ajantis seemed intrigued with the sword and reached out to pick it up. As he lifted the sword he let out a gasp of surprise.

"T-this is Carsomyr, the Holy Avenger! It has been lost for ages!"

"Take it my friend," Menelanna said. "I am sure it will be put to good use within the Order."

"I-I thank you, Menelanna," the paladin stammered.

"Think nothing of it," she said with a smile.

Menelanna felt a small tugging on her hair. She glanced at her shoulder to see Boo there trying to make a little nest for himself out of her long hair.

"Menelanna, why is Boo playing with your hair?" Anomen asked

"Oh, the hamster seems to think I need his guidance. He has declared he is my companion now."

"Well I hope he guides you well," Kivan said with a smirk.

The others gave a small laugh as they prepared to sit down for their meal together. Afterwards the companions decided it was time to take some rest. The next day they would make their journey to Athkatla. Thanks to the dragon's hoard of gold they were more than half their needed gold. Menelanna just prayed that it would not be too long before she saw her sister again.

-------------

Before heading off to bed Anomen decided that he needed to speak to Menelanna. He felt guilty about how he had ended their last conversation and wanted to make up for it. He found the young elf preparing her bedroll and slow approached her.

"My Lady, may I speak to you?" he asked quietly.

"Only if you promise me one thing," she said with a smirk.

"And what you that be, My Lady?"

"Stop calling me 'My Lady'! Just call me Menelanna, or Mene. You and I are friends. There is no need for you to so formal around me," she said.

"As you wish…My Lady," he smirked back. His smile faded and he looked at her nervously. "I wish to apologize to you. I ended our last conversation quite abruptly. I meant no offense by it."

"Don't worry about it Anomen. No offense was taken at all. I understand that your family is a difficult topic for you. If you ever need to talk, know that I am an open ear for you. Feel free to tell me as little or as much as you wish to confided in me."

"Thank you, Menelanna. In truth I do wish to speak more to you," he took a deep breath before going on. "I...I think of my sister, sometimes, alone in the manor with my father.From the last letter I received, it seemed as if she was bearing up well."

"Why do I remind you of her? Is she as annoyingly stubborn as I?"

Anomen let out a small laugh, "Aye, she is a stubborn one. She refuses to leave our father's side even at his drunken worst, staying to take care of him." He sighed and his tone grew grave, "Ever since our mother died, I think she can hardly imagine doing anything else.I hope that old bastard does not treat her too harshly. I am told that you have something of a sister, as well, my lady.Imoen, I believe the name is.You are close to her?"

"Yes, we are very close. She is the closest thing I have ever had to a sister and I love her. I am just so worried about her."

Anomen gently took the elf's hand, "Do not worry. We will find her. Thank you, Menelanna, for being willing to listen to me."

"What are friends for?" she asked with a grin.

With that they bid each other a good night and went to their different resting places.

-----------

The next morning the company packed up their things and prepared to set out towards Athkatla. Garren and Taar bid them a farewell and wish them a safe journey. They were no more than a few miles a way from Windspear hill when Menelanna suddenly got a strange sensation. She had a feeling that she was needed somewhere.

"What is it mellonamin?" Kivan inquired.

"I don't know. I feel as if I am being called. To Umar Hills?"

"Well you are a ranger protector there, perhaps we should go there and check in on the village," the druid spoke up.

"Sounds good to me. Ajantis, you do not need to come with us. I am sure the Order is awaiting your return."

"And they can wait a while longer. I will stick with you, my friend," the paladin declared.

With that the friends changed course and made their way towards Umar Hills.


	14. Chapter 14

**Return to Umar Hills**

The company arrived in Imsvale late in the afternoon. Many of the townsfolk recognized them and gave them a warm welcome. The town seemed to be at peace with no imamate danger threatening it. Menelanna wondered why she had felt the calling to come here. She asked a few of the locals if anything had been going on, but they told her that all had been calm since the defeat of the Shade Lord.

"I don't get it," the elf said to her friends. "I still have the feeling that something is not right, but nothing appears to be amiss here."

"Perhaps it is something that the villagers are not yet aware of," replied Kivan.

"Maybe," shrugged the younger ranger. "Anyhow it is getting late. We best get some rest and figure this out in the morning. You guys go stay at the inn, I wish to sleep at the cabin the village opened up to me."

"I do not like the idea of you being alone, child. One of us should stay with you," Jaheira nagged.

"I can take care of myself, Jaheira. And stop calling me 'child!'"

"She is right though. None of us should be too far away from the others. At least one of us should stay with you," Ajantis said.

"I'll stay with her!" both Anomen and Xan said unanimously. The men glared darkly at each other.

Menelanna let out an amused laugh, "I appreciate your concern, but really I will be fine on my own."

She bid them all a farewell and turned to leave before anyone could make a further protest. Menelanna had barely left the boundaries of the small village when she heard foot steps following her. But when she turned to see her follower there was no one behign her. After a moment of confusion the ranger realized who it was.

"Xan, you would think if you can turn yourself invisible you could also make your foot steps silent!"

A sigh came from the unseen enchanter, "I guess I am found out. I am sorry for following you like this. But Jaheira is correct, none of us, least of all you, should be alone."

The ranger put up her hands in defeat, "Fine! I give up! Just get rid of the spell so I can see where you are."

"The spell will wear off in a few minutes. Until then," Menelanna suddenly felt an invisible hand take hers. "There, now you know where I am."

Menelanna felt a little odd holding hands with an invisible man. But at the same time felt safe and secure knowing the enchanter was there. As the neared the cabin Xan blinked back into existence.

"Nice seeing you again," Menelanna teased.

A small rustle of leaves ahead brought the elves attention to the forest in front of them. A beautiful young woman stepped out from the trees. Her skin was the same deep rich brown color of the bark on the surrounding trees. Her long hair had the same look of leaves as it blew gently in the wind. The elves immediately knew what she was. She was a dryad.

"You have come ranger Menelanna. I am glad," she said in a melodic voice.

"Yes, I am here. Are you the reason why I felt a calling to come here?" The dryad nodded. "How can I help you then?"

"Some men have entered the forest by the ruins the Shade Lord once inhabited. They are tearing the woods apart in search of something of great value to them. Please you must stop them before they do anymore damage to the forest!"

"I will do this," the elf assured. "I will confront them tomorrow."

"Thank you my good ranger." With that she turned and disappeared into the trees.

"Well…looks like we found out what you were called for. I hope it does not turn out to be another hopeless quest that will just get us all killed."

"Stop saying that! Besides how hard can it be to kick a few goons out of the forest?"

"Need I explain?" the enchanter asked glumly.

"Please don't."

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Anomen paced restlessly in his room. He could not believe that that weakling mage had gone after the lady Menelanna. What kind of protection could he give the lady? Is should have been _him_, a soon to be knight who should be by her side now! When he asked Jaheira Xan had been chosen to follow Menelanna. She had simply said it was because the enchanter was the only one who could turn invisible and therefore follow her best. Anomen would have gone after the ranger himself at this point, except for the fact that he had no idea how to get to the cabin from the village.

He let out a curse and left his room. The priest knew he was going to get little sleep at this point, so he decided to it was best to get some fresh air. He walked around the quite village trying not to think of the fact that the enchanter was alone with Menelanna.

"You are out late. Something bothering you, Squire Anomen?" Ajantis said as he came up by his side. Apparently the paladin also desired some time outside this night.

"No, nothing is bothering me," he lied.

Ajantis smirked, "I am a paladin, Squire Anomen. You cannot lie to me." The priest flushed and turned his face away with a defiant grunt. "You seem to be quite fond of our fair leader," the paladin observed.

"She is a noble…leader. It is an honor to follow her," Anomen admitted. "She has also been a good friend."

"In my eyes you seem to want more than a simple friendship with her." When Anomen flushed, Ajantis knew he was correct. "The best way you can show her how you feel is to respect her and be a good friend to her. A lot has happened to this young woman; let her know you are there for her to lean on if she needs it."

With that Ajantis bid Anomen a good night and left him to his thoughts. As Anomen stared up into the night sky he wondered how he could give Menelanna the support she needed when he depended so much on the support she gave him.

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"We should get some rest," Xan said once they enter the cabin.

Menelanna nodded in agreement. She then took his hand and gave him a small smile. "Last time we shared reverie you showed me your memories of Evereska. I would like to show you my memories of Candlekeep, before I was forced to a life on the road."

Xan gave her a worried look, "Are you sure you want to resurface those memories? They most likely will bring you more pain than joy."

"It can't be worst than my nightmares."

Xan sighed and then gave in. He followed her to the bedroom and laid down next to her. The elves clasped hands and quickly fell into their reverie. Menelanna guided their shared reverie to her sweet memories Candlekeep.

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It was a warm summer day. A child with bright red hair and sparkling green eyes ran out of the tall library that stood in the middle of the courtyard. An aging man with grey hair chase followed her calling her name. Xan, watching closely, let out a gasp when he realized this child was Menelanna. The innocence and joy in the child's eye was a wonderful sight to him. He found himself imagining how beautiful the adult Menelanna would look with such joy on her face.

Another child ran out of the library and barreled past the gray hair man, who Xan could only guess was Gorion. The second child wore nothing but pink and had a very mischievous look about her. Imoen. The two young girls ran off while Gorion just shook his head with an amused look. Watching the young girls play Xan could not help but let a smile creep across his face. In their shared reverie Xan could also feel Menelanna's happiness at reliving such a carefree moment in her life.

But the carefree moment did not last. The peaceful surrounding disappeared and the bright sky became dark. Xan felt a pain shoot though his body and know Menelanna felt it worse. His dream vision suddenly went black.

"Stand," a hollow voice said.

His body moved on its own accord and came to a standing position. The enchanter opened his eyes. He recognized that he was in the Candlekeep library, but something was wrong, very wrong, about it. The lights were dim and shadows stretched across the room. The library looked old and abandoned as if no life had entered this halls in over a millennia. Menelanna stood next to him with a look of pure terror on her normally calm face. Her eyes were fixed on a man standing in the shadows. One look at him and Xan knew this was her tormentor, Irenicus. He wanted to run, he wanted to wake up, he wanted to take Menelanna away from this nightmare, but he could not make himself move. All he could do was watch.

"You rest each night uneasy. Yes, you are weary. You struggle daily," the masked mage said with cold calmness. His blue eyes were focused on Menelanna as he spoke, "It will not end you know. Not until you acknowledge what you are. You walk as a mortal, taking no advantage of your heritage, from you talents within. So many things of flesh are greater than you. Walk among them, these beasts that are less than you. See their strength; see how easily you fall to their muscle and skill."

Irenicus gave a wave of his hand. Before them an image of Menelanna appeared. This copy of the ranger looked small, insignificant, and fearful. With a second wave of his hand the insane mage brought forth a demon. The image of Menelanna looked up at the creature and let out a scream of terror. The demon laughed menacingly before lunging forward. The creature grabbed the ranger's image and began to tear her apart as she screamed in pain. The demon dropped the now lifeless unidentifiable form of the elf on the floor with a gleeful look.

The real Menelanna looked on in horror and could not find the words to speak. Irenicus seemed to enjoy the torment this was giving the young Bhaal spawn. He gave another lazy wave of his hand and the images before them disappeared.

"Why do you stand for this? Why do you submit to the flesh, when death is breed in your bones?" he asked her. "Do you realize the power you might hold? When the world of flesh is beneath you, even creatures mysterious and magical will fall."

Another image of Menelanna appeared. This time she brimmed with confidence. The image looked strong and powerful, but its eyes were dark and sinister. More images appeared before them. A lich, vampire, and demon now stood before the confident Menelanna. She let out an evil laugh that would have put a demon prince to shame. She raised her hand and pointed at the creatures before her. Red light poured from her hands striking each monster in the chest, killing them instantly. The image looked at the carnage before her with a sadistic grin.

Again the image faded. Menelanna looked even more horrified at these images than the previous ones. She looked prepared to run, but Irenicus' cold eyes held the ranger in place.

"Follow," he said quietly. "Receive the gifts you are owed by your blood. Follow, if only to protect the weak that fell because of you."

Suddenly Imoen appeared besides Irenicus. Menelanna managed to cry out her name before Irenicus began to cast spells at the pink hair girl. As Imoen shrieked in pain Menelanna cried out as well felling her sister's pain. Xan finally managed to break free of what ever was holding him in place and rushed to the ranger's side. He caught her as she fainted and fell to the ground.

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Menelanna's scream echoed through the cabin as she jolted awake. Xan instinctually took her into his arms and held her close. They both were breathing hard, both extremely shaken by the dream they had shared. Menelanna buried her head into Xan's shoulder as she began to sob like a child.

Xan had had nightmares before, relieving his time in the Nashkel mines and the battle with Sarevok. But he now saw how petty his visions were compared to the horrors she saw. He wanted to comfort her, to ease her worries, but he could not bring himself to speak. As Menelanna cried in his arms, he wondered if he could do anything for this doomed woman.


	15. Chapter 15

**Okay I have FINALLY updated again. Just a little side quest to do here. Hope you enjoy. **

**Of Men and Mithril **

The elves did not get much rest after experiencing the nightmare together. When morning came they were exhausted from lack of sleep. As the son started its ascent into the sky their other companions arrived at the cabin. Menelanna gave them a good morning doing her best to look cheerful. She did not want them to become aware of how tired she was. This fact was not lost on the druid. She drew the young ranger away from the others to confront her about the matter.

"You and the enchanter did not seem to sleep well last night," she remarked with a raised brow. "Are you sure this is what you want? Highly irresponsible if you ask me."

"Wha…wait! You think…you think I slept with him?" Menelanna gasped.

"What am I suppose to think, child?"

"Stop calling me 'child'!"

"Stop acting like one and I will" Jaheira snapped.

"I can't believe you! You waltz in and accuse me of sleeping with Xan and think you can tell me how to run my life! You want to know what happened last night? Fine! I will tell you because it is the only way it will shut you up!" the elf exclaimed. "He and I were sharing reverie when I had another one of my nightmares. Needless to say, it was a little difficult to fall back asleep. Happy now?"

"You expect me to believe this?"

"I do not care what in the Nine Hells you believe! Just stop trying to run my life! I am not the naïve little girl who stumbled into the Friendly Arms Inn a year ago!"

"True, but you are still a naïve litter girl who seems to be more focused on herself when she should be focused on rescuing Imoen," the druid barked back.

"You…you think I am some selfish little brat that only cares about myself?" the ranger fought to keep her voice calm. "My only focus is rescuing my sister! Why do you think I can't sleep at night? I will stop at nothing to save her, but it seems you will be of little help!" she yelled. Menelanna gave the druid an enraged look before abruptly turning and walking away, not wanting to hear another word from her.

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Anomen glanced over to where Menelanna walked. She looked worn and tired. Ajantis had told him he should be someone the lady could rely on for support. The priest let out a sight, it was worth a try. He strode up next to her and matched his pace with hers. She glanced up at him and gave him a friendly smile.

"Yes? May I help you, Anomen?"

"I…you…" he began to stammer. He cleared his throat and made his voice sound more confident than he felt. "You seem weary, My Lady. Is there anything I can do to ease your burden?"

"Well..." she pondered, "You can stop calling me 'My Lady'!"

"Of course…My Lady," he said with a teasing grin. The elf sighed and put up her hands in defeat. Anomen grew serious again as he addressed her, "But really. If there is anything I can do for you, just say the word. I want to help you, Menelanna."

"Just help me as you always have Anomen. And do not worry too much about me. I just did not sleep well last night. Another nightmare," she said quietly trying to hide the pain in her voice. It was not lost on the priest who put a comforting hand on her shoulder and gave her a kind smile. Menelanna looked up at him and suddenly smiled, "There is something you can do!"

"Anything, Menelanna."

"Just talk to me. How about…" she paused to think, "Ah! Tell me how you became a priest. I thought you wanted to be a knight."

Anomen smiled proudly as he began to talk, "I do want to become a knight.But that is not the way it has always been, my lady.One does not show up young and penniless and begin a career to knighthood straight away...not within the Order." He took a deep breath before continuing his story, "As I've said before, I approached the Order without the benefit of my father's sponsorship.Most young lords come to the Order with patrons paying for their armor and such. I had possession of not even a sword, and the knight-trainers would not accept me without my father's permission. My mother, however, was a follower of Helm and known to Sir Ryan Trawl.She...petitioned the Knight-Commander on my behalf, begging him not to turn me away. So Sir Ryan Trawl allowed me to enter as a novitiate to Helm.I trained as a cleric and learned my sword arts from the guardians of the temple...and was able to eventually squire. A long road it has been for me, Menelanna…but I am pleased to serve in the Order under Helm's name.And I trust that Helm is pleased with me, as well."

"I am sure he is. You are a strong person, one whom I am glad I have met," she said with a smile.

Anomen turned his face away from her to hid his blush, "Your words are most kind, My La…Menelanna. Again you remind me of my sister, Moira.She, too, has a decent soul and a kind heart.You should meet her sometime, Menelanna...I truly think you would like each other."

"I would like that," she replied. "Perhaps we can visit her when we return to Athkatla. You seem to miss her a lot."

"I would be nice to see her again," he responded.

The two continued walking side by side conversing in a friendly manner for some time. They did not notice how Xan's eyes followed them, his expression sad and longing.

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Menelanna heard the sound of metal on wood. She gave the signal for her companions to follow her silently. As they reached the edge of the clearing they could see men milling around the area. Several of them were working on cutting away the trees. An important looking man stood in the center of the clearing barking out orders. Clearly he was the one in charge. The young ranger told her companions to remain hidden as she stepped out into the clearing. Several of the workers stopped to regard her as she walked forward and confronted the man in charge.

He looked up and regarded her. "Yes? You look like one of the locals. Is there something you need?" he asked impatiently.

"Indeed there is. Stop your work here and leave the forest," the ranger ordered.

"I'll do no such thing. I'll have you know that this land is owned by my family. And I will tear ever rock and tree out of the ground until I find what I seek!" he snapped.

"Not while I am here, you won't!"

"And what, exactly, do you intend to do about it?" He glared at her as several of the guard standing about tensed and laid their hands on their weapons.

Menelanna met the man's gaze and did not show any signs of backing down, "I would prefer a peaceful resolution. Is there nothing I can do to make you stop this destruction?"

"There is not."

"What if I found this thing for you? Would you leave then?"

"Are you serious about this woodswoman?" he asked unbelieving.

"I am so long as you stop this destruction," she declared confidently.

"You are a ranger are you not? I should have guessed as such. Very well, I will leave if you find this for me, you have my word."

He handed her a torn piece of parchment. He explained that he had found a journal form his ancestor, Idras Tombelthen. His ancestor had found a cache of mithril in the land and that is what he sought. Unfortunately the torn parchment only stated that is was in this area and did not say exactly where the mirthril was hidden.

"I will find your precious metal," she said. The ranger then turned and began to walk away giving the signal for her companions to follow.

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Upon Kivan's suggestion they made a search though the temple ruins to see if they could find any more information. They ended up find the other half of Idras' writings. With this information they were able to find exactly where the mithril was hidden. As they approached the outcrop of rock the journal described they heard the crackling of bones. Several skeletons arose from the ground and began to approach them.

Both priest and paladin confidently stepped forward calling out to Helm. A soft aura surrounded the men. Many of the weaker undead fell apart immediately leaving only a pile of dust where they had once been. The stronger ones began running away as best as their undead legs could take them. Jaheira leapt in wielding her club and quickly bashed the bony creatures apart. It was not long afterwards that the undead creatures were all destroyed.

Menelanna went forward to the pile of rocks that stood there. She removed on large stone to reveal a small opening. Inside was a scroll and a single mithril necklace. According to the scroll this necklace was all the mithril that Idras had found.

"Well looks like we found this man's treasure," said the annoyed ranger. "Hope this was all worth it to him."

The group returned to were the men had been digging and cutting earlier. Faithful to his word they had stopped their work. Menelanna approached their the young Lord Tombelthen. He looked up and her both annoyed and expectant.

"Well how goes does it go ranger? Have you found Idras' store of mithril?"

"Indeed I have," Menelanna snapped. She tossed him the necklace and the scroll, "Apparently this is all you have been seeking."

"What?" He unfolded the note a read it. "The fool! I see that this expedition has been a waste. This necklace is rightfully mine. I will pay you a thousand gold for your efforts then I will leave you and your precious forest alone."

"Keep your gold my young lord," she said hotly. "Just get out of the forest!"

"You are very generous ranger. Very well I will keep my word and leave." With that he gave the order for his men to start packing up. Within the hour he was on his way back home.

Kivan came up next to Menelanna and gave her a small smile, "You preformed well mellonamin. You are doing your job as ranger protector well."

"Thank you Kivan. But now it is time for me to do my job as protecting my sister. Let's return to Athkatla and gain the rest of the gold we need."

With that the company began their journey back to the City of Coin.


	16. Chapter 16

Well again I FINALLY update. This is longer than any of my other chapters. Hope you enjoy it. I should be able to update again soon. I have my next chapter and a half written by hand, I just need to find the time to type it. Well thanks for your continued reading and reviewing!

And thankyou arabellaesque for helping me get this chapter up!

**The Pain of Loss **

As they began their trip back to Athkatla Menelanna and Jaheira made a point at avoiding each other. This fact was not lost on Kivan, who calmly walked next to the druid.

"You do not seem to be getting along with our young leader right now. What happened?"

"Nothing that concerns you," she snapped.

"Xan told me what happened between them. Seems he saw one of her nightmares in their reverie," he said calmly.

"You believe that is what happened?"

Kivan nodded, "I do. You know she is not as naïve as you seem to think she is. She needs to grow and mature still, but she needs to do it on her own."

"Are you saying I am too bitchy with her?" Jaheira asked. She then sighed and spoke on, "I guess you are right, I just do not want to see her stray down the wrong path."

"She does not seem the type that would walk a bad path regardless of who her father is."

"You are right," she admitted. "I guess you think I should apologize to her. Very well, it is what she deserves."

Kivan nodded and gave her a small smile. The stoic ranger then left her to her thoughts.

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As the arrived in Athkatla they made their way back to the Copper Cornet. After rooms were paid for the friends sat down for a shared meal. Ajantis was going to depart in the morning to report to the Order. He hoped that he would be allowed to continue to travel with Menelanna and her group. One by one each member of the party retired to their beds. Soon the ranger was left alone with only Jaheira as company.

Still angered from their argument the other day Menelanna gave the druid a dark glare. She then began to rise from the table and make her way to her own room.

"Wait chi…Menelanna. I would like to have a brief word with you," Jaheira said softly.

"You never have a 'brief word' to say to anyone. And after the other day I have no wish to hear anything from you," the ranger said hotly, but found herself sitting back down. She stared directly at the druid, almost as if she were challenging her, waiting for her to speak.

"I wish to apologize to you for my actions the other day. I judged you too quickly and too harshly. You are right, you are no longer a child and I should not try and mother you. I am sorry."

Menelanna could not believe her ears. She had been prepared for almost anything; a lecture, a harsh comment, and argument, but not this humble apology. It must have taken a lot of effort for the proud woman to say these words. It took Menelanna a few moments to overcome her shock and formulate words.

"It…it is alright Jaheira. I should apologize too for my harsh words. We both acted wrongly in the situation. Let us put this behind us," she managed to say.

She suddenly broke out a friendly smile to show Jaheira that she had truly forgiven her. The druid smile back kindly. All was forgiven between them and they could now move on. Menelanna bid the other woman goodnight then made her way to her room.

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As day broke the company began to gather together in the inn's common room. As they discussed their plans for the day a young man approached them. He looked nervous like he was not too pleased with what he had to do.

"Anomen Delryn, son of Cor, I come as the bearer of dire news. Your father requests your presence at his estate," he said nervously.

**"**Dire news, say you? What reason would I have to return to my father?" he inquired.

**"**Your sister is dead. Most foully murdered, by all accounts."

Anomen's face grew pale as he heard these words. "M-murdered," he managed to whisper.

**"**I am truly sorry, m'lord. Perhaps you should return to your home as your father has requested," the messenger said hastily before leaving seemingly happy to be done with his job.

**"**Aye, and right quick. Menelanna make haste! We must head for my fathers home in the Government District of Athkatla!" he pleaded.

"I mourn for the loss of your sister Anomen. I am truly sorry. We shall make our way to your father's house with all haste," Menelanna said gravely.

Anomen nodded slowly, "I must discover the truth about this murder. Let us go."

They quickly arose from the table and left the inn. Anomen lead the way to the Government District where his home could be found. As they approached the door guard solemnly nodded to Anomen before opening the door and allowing them to enter. Once inside they could hear shouting and a shatter of glass. A pale faced servant quickly ran out of a room more than happy to be out of ear shot of the shouting man. Anomen sighed and lead his friends into the room which the servant had just left.

Sitting at a table was a grey haired man. Around him were several empty bottles and he seemed to be working on another one. Hearing the newcomers enter he raised his head. Menelanna realized this drunkard was Anomen's father; the resemblance between them was astounding. The only difference is this Lord Cor did not have Anomen's kind eyes. The drunken man let a mocking smile glide across his face as he regarded his son.

"Ah! The prodigal son returns. Heir to his mother's foolishness as always. How far have you roamed, son, running away from me?" he asking mockingly.

Anger flashed in Anomen's eyes, "Speak not of my mother, drunkard. You were never worthy of being her husband!"

"Yet I was, and your father as well. Never forget that, boy! Your mother would still be alive if you children weren't such a handful."

"Shut your mouth, father," he sneered as he said these words. "We've had this conversation before and I've not the patience to listen to it again."

"You will listen to what ever I choose to tell you, Anomen. Respect your father, knightling. I am still the man of this family and you will obey me!" he barked back. Menelanna suddenly felt very uncomfortable, this was not a discussion she should be hearing.

"Yes, father... I lost my temper and I apologize," he said meekly. There was fear in his eyes, fear of his father. Menelanna was shocked by this, she had never imagined this proud man to be afraid of a drunkard like this.

"It took you long enough to get here. It wouldn't hurt you to come and see your father now and again."

**"**Father, where is Moira, your daughter? What happened to her?" he asked.

Lord Cor grew red in the face and began shouting even louder, "Idiot boy! She's dead! Murdered by the Calimshite fiends!"

"How did this happen?"

"How do you think? It was Saerk the Calimshite. It was not enough for him to take my business; he had to take my Moira too."

**"**But why would he kill her? She has nothing to do with your enmity."

"Do you understand nothing?He killed her because he could!" he shrieked. "For years I embarrassed him amongst the merchants, undercut his prices and stole his customers.When my business failed he had a monopoly on the Calimshan shipping routes. He would not be happy until I had nothing. By the end, Moira was all that I had, and now he's taken her too."

**"**Where were the guards? Why was she not protected?"

"The guards left months ago. I had no money to pay them with.Soon I will lose my house as well.Saerk has taken all of it... all of your mother's and sister's things..."

Anomen's temper began to rise again, "He didn't take it, father. YOU lost it... you lost it..."

"I lost it because you abandoned your family. If you hadn't run away, Moira would still be alive. You should have been here to protect her! To save her from the brigands!" Lord Cor accused.

**"**I'm sorry. I... I did not know..." the priest said quickly once again defeated by his father's wrath. Menelanna calmly came by his side and place a comforting hand on his arm. Anomen looked down at the elf and seemed to draw strength from her presence.

"You should have been here, Anomen. Never forget that! It is too late to save her but your work is not yet finished, Anomen."

**"**What can be done? Moira is dead."

"She can be avenged, Anomen.You must kill Saerk and his son.It is the only way that Moira's spirit can be at rest. As for your friends, they would do well to help you for Saerk the Calimshite is a very wealthy man and his gold shall be their reward."

"What you suggest is murder. There is no proof that this man killed your daughter," the ranger stated. She was surprised how calm she was able to keep her voice. Her contempt for this man was growing by the minute. She thanked the Seldarine a thousand times it was Gorion who had raised her and not this drunken excuse of a man.

"I know it was him! He attacked us first and now we must strike back at him!" he yelled.

"I must see Moira's remains first, father. It will take but a moment," Anomen broke in.

"Go then. She was cleansed on the pyre and her ashes are kept in an urn by the pool. It was the place that Moira loved most of all," he said for once managing not to shout every word he said.

Anomen looked down at the woman who held his arm, "Menelanna, come with me to Moira's urn. I would speak with you."

The ranger nodded, "Alright, I will come with you."

Anomen nodded and lead them to a small fountain in the front room of the estate. A simple green urn was set up in the corner of the room. A few flowers were lain before the memorial. Seeing the urn seemed to make his sisters death all the more real for Anomen. He struggled to keep tears from his eyes and he quietly knelt by the urn. Menelanna came by his side and knelt next to him paying her respects to his fallen sister.

After a long silence the priest managed to speak, "I am well worried by what has gone on in this place. Though the choice seems clear and right I am hesitant to take it. Surely if Saerk killed my sister I must avenge her murder.Yet killing for the purpose of revenge is murder by the tenets of the Order.I know not what I should do."

He looked the Menelanna seeking his answer in her. She took a deep breath before answering, "Do not let these thoughts of vengeance cloud your judgment.Killing for revenge is murder."

"Aye," he sighed. "What you say holds truth yet, as my father says, I am honor-bound to find my sister's killer and take his life."

"You are honor-bound to your vows to the Order, Anomen. The path you are considering is evil, do not take it."

"Aye. This is right. I feel it in my bones," he let out a sigh of relief. "I've lived under the bitterness of my father's spirit my entire life. It has tainted me to the point where I am willing to partake in it. He can keep his hatred and drown his sorrows as he has always done. Yet the question of my sister's murder remains."

**"**This is a matter that is best handled by the local authorities."

**"**We shall take this matter before the magistrate. My father's revenge be damned! I have sworn to uphold the law and unlike him, I shall do so. Come, let us return to my father.He may yet be convinced to follow the lawful path.It is not my place to take revenge.Such an act would lead to chaos."

They arose and returned to where Lord Cor sat deep in his cups. Menelanna was quite pleased with the path Anomen had decided to take, but she was worried about how his father would react.

Lord Cor looked up from his drink and sneered at his son,** "**You have seen the lifeless ashes of your sister, Anomen. Let not this terrible act go unpunished! Gird thy heart with righteous anger and slay thy sister's murderer!"

Menelanna gently placed her hand on Anomen's arm. The priest looked down at the woman and gave a small smile, strengthened by her calm presence. He brought his gaze back to his father and brought himself to his full height and address his father with no fear in his voice, "Nay, father. It is time for this foolishness to end."

"What do you mean to say, Anomen?" he demanded.

"Only that killing Saerk in vengeance would be murder as surely as my sister's death was."

** "**The destruction of evil is never considered to be murder. Do not these knights that you seek to join take such missions themselves?"

"Not in the manner that you suggest. We must take these charges to the magistrate. This is the only way to end this circle of violence that you have trapped us within," he replied calmly.

It was at this point that Lord Cor again went into a rage, "You fool boy! The magistrate will do nothing. She is a pawn of Saerk!"

**"**Bylanna Ianulin is a good and noble woman. You said this yourself before you slipped into the foul clutch of the drink."

Anomen's father looked about the room enraged. His eyes fell upon the elf holding his son's arm. He pointed an accusing finger at her, "You! Elven wench! You have corrupted my son against me. You are the one who will let this murder go free!"

The ranger glared darkly at him. Her grip tightened slightly on Anomen's arm. If she did not respect Anomen as much as she did, she would have throttled Lord Cor for his comment.

Behind her she did not notice Xan suddenly become enraged and begin softly chanting a domination spell. Or Kivan quickly grabbing the enchanter to interrupt the spell casting. Xan sighed and berated himself for his lapse in judgment but still glared darkly at the drunken human.

It was Anomen's turn to become angered, "How dare you accuse Lady Menelanna of such! She is a pure and noble woman! I will not allow him to go free! He shall be taken before the courts if he is indeed the one who murdered my sister."

"Obey me, Anomen!"

**"**I have obeyed you all my life and received naught but bitterness in return. My friend and I shall take this matter to the magistrate, as the law requires."

**"**If you step out that door then you must never come within again."

**"**Don't do this, father..." he pleaded.

Lord Cor grew very red in the face, Menelanna could not tell if it was from his rage or from his excessive drinking. "Shut your mouth! If you leave now you are forever banished from this place. You will be cast from this family and become a nameless dog, not fit to cower at my feet."

"I've been cowering at your feet for all my life. Goodbye, father. Perhaps I shall see you again before you drink yourself to death," said trying to keep his own anger in check. "Come, Menelanna, let us leave... we should go and see the magistrate in the Council of Six building and see if anything can be done, despite father's venom."

"You are nothing, boy! Nothing!" Lord Cor shouted as the company turned and left.

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They left the counsel building and Anomen was feeling defeated. Bylanna Ianulin said that they had no evidence point to who was responsible for Moira murder. The priest did not know where to turn or what to do. Menelanna assured him that vengeance was the wrong thing and counseled him to not take that path.

Ajantis parted from the group to make his way the Order's head quarters. He promised to return to them as soon as he could. Menelanna nodded and bid her friend a farewell. Anomen was still to shocked by his sister's death to even take notice of the paladin's departure.

With little else to do the remaining companions returned to the inn. Anomen left them without a word for the privacy of his room. Menelanna watched him go sadly. She longed to comfort the young priest, but knew at this moment he needed to be alone. She took one last look in the direction the priest went. The ranger then left, deciding to go for a walk.

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The ranger walked through the Promenade not really looking at anything. She spotted a dark hair elf in purple robes sorting though different spell components one of the merchants offered. Menelanna stopped next to him and gave in a friendly smile. Xan glance up and nodded in greeting. As the enchanter finished making his perchance, a collection of books caught the ranger's attention. She had always loved to read, but since leaving Candlekeep she had had little access to books.

As she browsed through the collection a finely bound book caught her eye. She pulled if off the shelf and was surprised to find that is was written in elvish. Xan casually looked over her shoulder. Seeing the book he let out a sigh and a sad smile played across his face.

"A book dictating our ways. That one should fall into human hands is proof of our dwindling race."

"Then let us not leave it in human hands," she replied. "Besides I would like to learn more of my own kin."

After Menelanna paid for the book, the elves made their way back to the Copper Cornet.

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The sun had begun its decent when everyone returned to the inn. Ajantis came back happy to announce that he could continue to travel with them. All were present, except for Anomen, who had not left his room since earlier that day. Menelanna asked for a plate of food from the inn keep before making her way upstairs. She paused at the priest's room before softly knocking on the door.

"Come in," a hoarse voice said.

The ranger slowly opened the door and walked in. the room was fairly dark due to the fact that Anomen had closed the window. The young man sat on the edge of his bed with his head buried in his hands. He raised his head to regard the woman who now stood on his room. Menelanna could tell that he had been crying despite the man's efforts to hide that fact. She seated herself next to the grieving man and gave him a small smile as she handed him the meal she had brought.

"Here, I thought you might be hungry," she said softly.

"Thank you, Menelanna," was his weak reply.

He silently ate the food she gave him. She patiently waited for him to finish, pleased that he was taking food. When he finished eating the elf gazed at him with concern.

"How are you feeling?"

"I-I am fine," he lied.

"Good," she said unconvinced. "Now tell me how you are really doing."

Anomen looked up into her eyes. He saw nothing but loving concern gazing back at him. She wanted nothing more than to help him in his time of need. He wanted nothing more that to know she was there for him.

"Did…did I do the right thing? In sparing Saerk's life," he asked quietly. "What if he really did murder my sister? Then…"

"What if you had killed only to find that he was innocent?" she interrupted. "That would be a horrid taint on your honor. Yes, Anomen, you did the right thing."

"Aye…aye," he sighed, "You are right."

He slumped forward and buried his head in his hand again. Menelanna gently placed her hand on the man's broad shoulder. He body began to shake as the proud man could no longer restrain his tears. The ranger slowly took him into her arms and held him as her cried onto her shoulder.


	17. Chapter 17

**Took me long enough to update huh? Well here is my next chapter finally. Hope you enjoy it and please give me reviews. And by the way…you most likely can tell my opinion of a certain person in this chapter...**

**For the Needy!**

Menelanna decided it was best to spend a few days in the city to give Anomen proper time to grieve. On their third day the group was ready to move on. They gathered in the tavern to discuss their next plans. After counting their gold, it was discovered that they still needed another several thousand gold to meet Balye's quota.

"We need to find some sort of job that will give us the gold we need," Menelanna said with a sigh. She was growing weary of their constant struggle to find gold. All she wanted was to rescue Imoen and get on with her life.

A young woman suddenly burst into the tavern. She was a young girl, just entering into adulthood. The girl looked worn and distressed. Despite her hair being in disarray and clothed in traveling garments, she was clean. Too clean, to be an average person. The ornate ring that adorned her finger revealed that she was of noble birth.

She began calling out to the people gathered in the tavern, "Is anyone willing to hear my plea? Anyone? You all know me; I've helped some of you! Is this the thanks I get? I've helped lots of your kind!"

Menelanna looked up at the girl. "Well looks like some work might have found us," she whispered to her friends. "Girl," she called out, "What is your problem?"

The newcomer rushed over to their table looking desperate. "You! Are you for hire? As mercenaries I mean! You look…" her words poured out of her mouth. She halted when Menelanna calmly put up a hand.

"We might be able to help you. But please, calm down and tell us what is wrong." "I need a strong hand to help me. My land is under siege and none of this rabble will aid me! After all I have done for their kind too! Please can you assist me?"

_Rabble? Kind? _The elf thought. She was quickly growing to dislike this girl, just like so many other nobles who crossed her path. "What do you mean rabble? And kind?" she asked tersely.

"Well, nothing really. Just some are more privileged than others. I do what I can to help those beneath me. You'd think they would be greatfull!" the girl wailed.

Menelanna's opinion of the girl continued to sink. She did not care for anyone who felt others were beneath them. She was about to make a remark about how it seemed that this girl felt her wealth made her better than others, but bit off her words before they came out. Instead she managed to calmly say, "I will try and help you if I can. But I need to know the enemy. What is their strength of numbers?"

"There is no time! We must go. I will lead you there. I can show you secret passages though the keep. We just must hurry so we can rescue my father!" the girl pleaded.

"Alright. We will help you. Lead the way…Miss…"

"Nalia. Nalia De'Arnise"

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The party, now with the addition of Nalia, made its way towards the De'Arnise keep. Anomen walked next to Menelanna casually talking with her about various topics during the journey. Xan could be found in the back of the group sulking. His gloomy eyes were watching Menelanna. He could not get the images of how she had held Anomen's arm during the trails with Lord Cor out of his head. He was also struggling with the fact that she spent a lot of time comforting the priest in his room. The enchanted glumly mulled these thoughts over as they walked along.

Buried in his toughs he did not notice that they had arrived at the De'Arnise and that the keep could be seen. His thoughts were broken when he heard Menelanna call for Kivan. The young ranger was crouched down examining the ground. Kivan came next to her and looked down at what she had found.

"Please do not tell me this is what I think it is…" she pleaded to the elder ranger.

"Trolls," he said simply.

"Not good," she muttered as she stood up. She turned and confronted Nalia, "Alright! It is about time you tell us the whole truth here. You said you land was besieged but you forgot to mention that it was by trolls!"

The girl shifted nervously and began to stammer, "I-I should have told you earlier. But others left me when they found out! I-I don't know their numbers, I only know I must rescue my family."

"We are all doomed if we…" Xan began before Menelanna cut him off with a hand motion.

"Fine. We will still help. How do we get in? A frontal assault would be the 'doom' my companion thinks we all will soon face."

"I know of a secret entrance. I use to use it to seek out with out my aunt noticing. We should go, waiting will only make things worse. I will guide you once we are inside."

The ranger nodded and motioned for the girl to take the lead. Nalia lead them to the west side of the keep. After feeling on the wall for a few moments she pushed a stone in, revealing a handle.

After opening the door the girl lead the party inside. They made their way down dark dusty halls. One door Menelanna tried was locked tight. She stepped back and was about to ask Yoshimo to deal with it. But Nalia surprised them when she pushed forward and quickly picked the door open.

"Well it seems the noble girl has had a few dealing with rouges to learn a trick like that," Menelanna remarked.

"Ah…something I sorta picked up a while back."

"Something you picked up, huh? Well fine by me. Well lead on if you will."

The girl nodded and pushed the door open. It was not long before they heard a man's shriek. Menelanna quickly notched an arrow and ran ahead. She got there just in time to see an ugly troll slaughter a poor servant man. The creature focused it's beady black eyes upon the elf and made a lunge for her. With the help of her friends the beast was quickly subdued. Although the ranger knew the troll would regenerate itself quickly enough if fire was not cast on it soon. She was just about to give Xan the order to cast flaming hands upon the creature when Nalia once again surprised them. She stepped forward and bathed the creature in magical fire from her hands.

"Well…it seems this girl is full of surprises," Yoshimo remarked.

"Just something you sorta picked up a while back?" Jaheira asked with a raised brow.

The girl just gave a nervous shrug in response. Menelanna shook her head, "It does not matter what she knows, I am just thankful we have another mage to help us deal with these beasts."

"Even with two of us, we will soon run out of spell that can be used on the trolls," Xan pointed out. "Had we know before hand what we were going to be dealing with we could have been better prepared."

"The weapons room is not far from here. I am sure we can find some fire arrows that can be used by those of us who use bows," Nalia replied.

The girl led them down a few more hall ways to a small weapon room. To Menelanna's relief there were enough fire arrows in stock for each of the archers to have a small quiver. With the combination of their spells and arrows the team made short work of all the trolls on the lower level. They soon made their way upstairs.

"We have to find my aunts bedroom. There is a secret passage which leads to the cellar entrance. Down there is probably where the leader is."

"Alright. Lets hope your aunt is safe and sound there as well. Lead the way Nalia," the ranger replied.

The noble girl nodded and led on. They came to an open room with several trolls and a few snake like creatures. One of the snake creatures gave a few orders in its hissing voice as the monsters attacked. The trolls were quickly taken down with their fire magic, but Menelanna let out a cry as a magic missal hit her in the chest and knocked her back. It seemed one of the snake creatures wielded magic. Anomen and Ajantis brought down the creature as Kivan helped the younger ranger to her feet.

"What in the nine hells is that thing?" she asked.

"They are called yuan-ti. A vile snake creature. What they are doing here with trolls I do not understand," the enchanter explained.

"It does not matter; we just need to save my family!" Nalia exclaimed.

"Is this key of any importance?" Yoshimo asked as he held up a gold key he had just looted from the dead yuan-ti.

Nalia quickly snatched the key from the bounty hunter's hand, "It is they key to my aunt's bedroom! Lets go!"

With that she ran off down the hall with the others closely following. Thankfully they ran into no more beast along the way. The girl finally halted in front of a finely carved door. She placed the key into the hole and slowly opened it. When the door opened a armored man leapt forward sword at the ready.

"Hold! How did you…Mistress Nalia!? Is that really you?"

"Hendron? You're alive! What is going on here?"

"I barricaded us in here to protect your aunt, my lady. I have sworn to protect her, and I shall." He added is a lowered voice, "Despite the pain in the behind the hag has turned out to be."

Menelanna soon found out exactly what he was talking about as a regal looking woman stepped forward forcing her was past her guard.

"Oh! It is but a nightmare. Yet more hooligans tracking filth through the halls. We shall have to vacation for a tenday while the whole building is deloused," she said in a huffed voice.

"Umm…excuse me," replied an annoyed elf.

The woman did not stop there, "How dare you march though my home as if you belong! What is this world coming to?"

"'Marching through your home?' I came here with your niece to _rescue _you. Or have you not noticed the fact that trolls and yuan-ti infest your home?"

"Nalia? What dregs have you brought home this time?"

"Auntie! Treat them with respect! Would you rather die than be helped by commoners?"

"I would never turn down a chance to live another day. But to live another day…as one of them…you soil yourself by dealing with your lessers," the woman replied hotly.

By this point Menelanna had gone from simple annoyance to anger, "'Lessers'? If it were not those who you considered your 'lessers' you would most likely be dead by now! Have you no respect for those who fight and die to protect your life?"

"As it should be. It is their lot to serve and mine to remain above them and be served." The woman kept rambling on about how "superior" she was to others.

Menelanna let out a stream of elven curses under her breath, before turning and addressing Nalia threw clenched teeth, "Nalia, I think we should let your aunt get to safety while we MOVE ON. Now. Please…"

"Oh! Yes of course. Auntie I will catch up with you as soon as we rescue father. Bye!"

"Fine. Just do try to stay clean. And don't get yourself cleaned. You may go with your…'friends'…for now."

They watched the guard quickly guide Nalia's aunt out of the room. Menelanna was greatly relieved to see her go.

"And people wonder why I hate dealing with people like her…" the ranger muttered under her breath. "Lets go. I want to get out of here as soon as possible. Nalia, you said something about a secret passage. Please show the way."

"This way," she replied. She moved to a wall and ran her fingers across it. Nalia seemed to find what she was looking for as the wall suddenly slid back to reveal a hidden passage. She began to lead the way down a flight of stairs when she suddenly stopped. The girl turned and regarded the elven leader for a brief moment. "Wait here. Let me get something," she said before running down a different hallway. She reappeared a moment latter with a fine longbow in her hands. "Please take this. You will have more use for it than anyone here."

Menelanna accepted the bow and examined it closely. She had never seen a bow of such fine design. Kivan and Xan were also taking a careful look at the weapon.

"It is elven made," Kivan told her.

"Thank you…" Menelanna finally managed to reply. "I will use it well."

With out another word, the company descended the stairs to face whatever may lay ahead.


	18. Chapter 18

**A Proposal **

Menelanna blinked as they emerged into the sun light. The tears that hung on Nalia's face gleamed in the bright light. The ranger felt a pang of sorrow. They had not made it in time to save Nalia's father. The keep was now clear of all the vile creatures that had infiltrated it, but they could not save the lord of the land.

As they traveled back the Athkatla, the young noble girl came with them. Menelanna still was not certain what had possessed her to allow her to remain in the group. She found her annoying and naïve. _Much like I use to be_, the ranger suddenly thought. She decided she would give Nalia some time to prove herself to the group. As her eyes fell upon the grieving girl Menelanna let out a sigh. She understood the girl's pain.

The elf approached Nalia and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "I am sorry about your father," she said quietly. "If you need to talk…please don't hesitate."

The girl stiffened and wiped her tears from her eyes, "I do not need to talk. Especially to someone who could not understand my pain!"

"I do understand," Menelanna replied calmly. "My own father was murdered little more than a year ago. As I said…if you need to talk…" With that she left the girl alone.

-------------

Anomen watched Menelanna from a distance. Her kind heart never stopped to amaze him. He could tell that the fair lady did not care much for lady Nalia, but she still put it upon herself to comfort the grieving girl. Menelanna never ceased to put her companions before herself. The priest suddenly wished there was something he could do for her to show his appreciation for her.

-------------

When it came time to set up camp, Xan sat himself down with his spell book to prepare his spells for the next day. Menelanna took the seat next to him and gave him a friendly smile before taking out the elven book she had purchased before. She had been reading the book ever since she had gotten it, fascinated with the information about her kin that it held.

This night she read about two forms of elite elven warriors. The bladesinger and the arcane archer. Both were masters of weapons and magic. She found the arcane archer particularly fascinating. The concept of being able to enchant a notched arrow with a spell amazed her. The enchanter sitting next to her found himself lazily glancing over her shoulder. When he noticed what she was reading about he gave a small smile.

"Ah…the arcane archers. They are quite amazing warriors. You would have made an excellent one," he mused. "You already have all the skills you need with the bow. You just need proper training in magic."

"You really think so?" she asked interested.

Xan nodded, "You have the potential. As I…" he stopped as he noticed the all too friendly smile Menelanna was now giving him. "No! Absolutely not!"

"Aw…come on. You would be a great teacher for me! You already said all I need to do is learn magic. What better way for me to learn than from my own kinsman!"

"I said no and that is final!"

An hour later the enchanter had no idea how he ended up explaining the meaning of the intricate runes in which his spells were written.

-----------------

The next day the friends arrived in Athkatla. While most of the group was off doing their own thing, Menelanna could be found sitting in the corner of the tavern counting gold. She let out a sigh of relief when she discovered that they now had enough to pay for Imoen's rescue. The elf heard the soft tapping of a foot, and looked up to see Nalia staring down at her.

"Yes? Do you need something?" the elf inquired.

"Why do you need so much gold? That money would do so much good being given to the poor!"

"Believe it or not but I need every coin here," she replied trying to stay calm.

"How can you need this gold more than some homeless wretch on the side of the street? You are different. You have a home and a means to make money while there are those out there who have neither! You should give your excess gold away instead of hoarding it like a dragon!" the girl demanded.

Nalia's attitude was really starting to annoy her now. Menelanna stood up and faced her, "Just for you information, I have no home. Ever since my father was murdered, I have no place to go to call home. Also I do need this gold more than you can understand. My foster sister has been taken and this gold it needed to rescue her. If I give up this gold I am give up the life of someone very dear to me! Do not assume that just because someone has a lot of gold that they have a lot to give away!" By this point her voice had begun to rise, "Believe me if I could I would give this gold away! I would much rather be a poor commoner than some stuck up rich snob who thinks others are below them!"

Nalia was taken back by these words, "You think that of me don't you? That is am a rich snob?"

"I have heard you refer to others as being below you. 'I do what I can to help those beneath me'. Is that not what you said when we first met?"

"But I help others who are in need!" she shouted. "I am through with this argument. It seems you would rather not want me around. Very well, I shall leave you to your quest." Menelanna gave an indifferent shrug. Nalia gave an exasperated sigh before turning and leaving with out looking back.

The ranger looked up just in time to see the door close behind her. A soft cough to her side made her turn. Jaheira and Kivan were standing there, obviously they had witnessed the entire thing. Menelanna abruptly stood, not in any mood to hear a lecture from the druid.

"I am going for a walk," she announced and left before either of them could object. She quickly moved across the room and exited out into the evening air. She knew that both she and Nalia had acted wrongly back there, but at this point she did not really care. The elf walked down the darkening streets of the Athkatla slums not really taking notice of her surroundings.

The scuff of a boot brought her to an abrupt stop. Without looking she knew someone was behind her. She turned slowly to see a burly looking man standing ten feet behind her. He had a cruel smile across his ugly face. More footfalls told the elf that there were more thugs behind her now. She tensed and placed her hands gently on her weapons. This day just seemed to be getting worse and worse.

"Well what have we have here? A lost little lassy? Need some help lassy?" the man, obviously the leader, sneered.

Menelanna narrowed her eyes and glared at the man dangerously, "Leave now, before I am forced to hurt you. And do not call me 'lassy' again if you wish to keep your life"

A gruff laugh echoed from behind, "She be a feisty little one! Just how I like 'em."

"Come now lassy," the leader said in a lewd voice. "If you comply calmly things will be…easier…for all of us."

"We'll see about that!" she cried as she threw back her cloak and drew her blades.

The three men surrounding her gave an amused hoot before drawing their own weapons and slowly began to close in on her. The elf knew that she was not match for them due to strength. Instead she relied on her natural agility to avoid their attacks. _If only I could get far enough away to use my bow,_ she thought as she tried to parry a blow. Numbers were defiantly on their side and they cornered the elf against the wall.

"See now lassy...things will be so much nicer if you only come calmly," the leader sneered. These were the last words he ever spoke before the dagger plunged into his throat. As his body fell to the ground Menelanna saw a dark shape slink back into the shadows. Not one to give up a chance, she viciously swung her blade and sliced the throat of one of the surprised thugs. The last one let out a cry before turning and running. The dark shaped reappeared from the shadows and let and object fly from their hand. A moment later the fleeing man fell dead. Menelanna did not allow herself to relax as she regarded the new comer.

"I thank you for you assistance," she said politely.

The newcomer approached her and stepped into the light. Menelanna could now see her rescuer was a woman with deathly pale skin. When the woman spoke she had a slightly seductive tone to her voice, "Greetings friend. I would have a word with you."

"Speak then and I shall listen."

"My mistress would like to strike a deal with you. Come to the Graveyard Yard district this evening if you wish to speak with her. Farwell," with that she vanished into the shadows once again. Menelanna leapt after her seeking to ask more questions but could not find the woman. She glanced down the ally and did not notice the large bat that flew over her head.

-----------------

The cold gust of wind that suddenly entered the tavern made the companions at the table look up. Menelanna stood there at the door looking rather unhappy. She approached her friends and quickly told them what had occurred.

"You should not have gone out by yourself My Lady! You are lucky that this mysterious woman did not seek your death as well!" Anomen exclaimed.

"Thank you for the concern Anomen, but I can take care of myself. Now, what shall we do? Do we seek out this 'Mistress'?"

"We do not know this shadowy figure's mistress is? How do we know we are not going to walk into a trap?" Xan asked.

"If how ever this is wanted me dead, she could have easily done it when I was being attacked by those thugs. No, I think this person really wants to deal with us. It is just that I have an uncomfortable feeling about the whole thing."

"Let's see what this person has to offer. But let us be on guard for any treachery," Kivan said quietly.

Menelanna nodded silently and rose from the table. Her friends followed in suit and they began to make their way to the Graveyard District. The elven ranger was not entirely pleased with this excursion. There was something about that pale skinned woman that did not seem right to her. Also the fact that the meeting place with this Mistress was in a graveyard did not sit well with her.

Anomen seemed to sense her discomfort, for he suddenly appeared by her side and gave her a gentle friendly smile. Menelanna smiled back and relaxed a little bit. It was a comfort to her knowing that the strong priest was by her side ready to fight with her if needed. The man next to her tensed as they came to the entrance of the graveyard. A lithe figure was approaching swiftly. A the figure came into the light the party could see that she was a beautiful, but pale skinned woman.

"Ah! You have arrived! I was afraid I might have to discipline my servant for failing to deliver her message. I am Bohdi, and I greet you warmly," she gave them what would have been a friendly smile, except for the two pointed teeth that hung over her lower lip. Xan took a quick intake of breath and put his hand on his moonblade.

"Warm you may be. But this is a very cold place," Jaheira remarked.

"I have asked you hear because we are unlikely to be heard, and so you can see the benefits of working with me. Please follow me." With that she turned and began to lead them through a maze of grave stones and mausoleums.

Xan silently came up by Menelanna's side a grasped her arm. "Can you not see what she is?" he whispered hoarsely in her ear. "She is a vampire. You can not even be thinking of considering working with her. Can you?"

"Of course not. But I want to know what is going on here and why she is interested in getting me to work for her." Xan let out a sigh of relief and nodded bidding her to lead on.

Bohdi finally halted in front of a modest looking crypt. She turned and addressed them once again. "This…" she motioned to the crypt behind her, "is the entrance to the hold I offer you access to. Oh! I am sorry, I get ahead of myself. I should outline what I intend. I wish to employ you. Have you do…errands for me."

"And why would I wish to work for you…vampire?" Menelanna asked.

"You work for the Shadow Thieves now. Yes, the are Shadow Thieves. They will help you find your Imoen. I offer an alternative. I would help you for…oh…15,000 gold. Quite a bit less than what they are asking."

Ajantis stepped forward and stood by Menelanna, glaring at the vampire before them. "Do not accept this! If you join with this creature I will have no part in it!"

"It might not be a bad idea," Yoshimo interjected. When everyone gave him a surprised look he began to explain, "We will save a fair amount of money and achieve the same goal. Of course we would make an enemy of the Shadow Thieves."

"I am sure you have question. Go ahead and ask and appease your curiosity," Bohdi purred.

"Why would you do this? What is there for you to gain?"

Bohdi gave a smile that chilled the ranger's blood, "I stand to gain everything that the thieves would lose. I assure you, I will help you find Imoen. I will help you find Irenicus, but not just for your reasons. I have my own interest in Irenicus myself."

Something about this Bohdi put Menelanna on edge. Not just the fact that she was a vampire, she knew too much. She was much too willing to help her. The ranger did not trust whatever dark plans the undead creature was concocting. She narrowed her eyes before speaking again. "I do not trust you. I refuse your offer," she announced.

The vampire sighed, "This is…unfortunate. Very well, you may go." She rose and slinked into the shadows. From the darkness they heard her voice again, "You have made an enemy today. I will face you on my terms when the inevitable comes."

Menelanna turned and looked at her gathered friends. "Let's get out of this wretched place. I have had enough unpleasant encounters for one day."

---------------

The walk back the inn was…tense, to say the least. Everyone could literally feel Menelanna's anger and frustration. They knew it was best to keep their mouths shut and let her cool off.

As they entered the Copper Cornet, Menelanna announced that she was going to sleep. She approached the inn keep and handed him her coin and was about to make her way upstairs. She was stopped when as handsome young elf addressed her. By the grin on the elf's face, Xan could only imagine this would not turn out well for him.

"Ahhh…my dear lady. You look so…delicious…that the mere thought of wrapping my tongue around you enflames my mine with feelings of desire…"he said sweetly to her.

"Okay who in the nine hells are you? And what did you just say to me?" the already angered ranger said.

"I am Salvanas di Riyos. And all I want is to be entwined in your arms in the embrace of sweet passion for a fortnight…"

At this Anomen abruptly stiffened and began to approach the little man. Xan had not doubt in his mind that the priest would throttle this Salvanas. Except for the fact the Menelanna beat him to it.

The entire tavern was silence when the ranger's fist suddenly collided with the lecherous elf's face and set him flying into a vacant table. As the man dazed man laid on the floor whipping the away the blood that now poured from his broken nose, Menelanna stepped up to him. She slowly drew her blade and rested its tip upon him…below the belt. When she spoke her words were soft, but clear and threatening.

"If you EVER speak to me like that again…" she glanced down to where her blade rested, "I will make sure you never reproduce. Am I understood?"

Salvanas' face paled significantly. He nodded slowly. The ranger let out a cold smile and put her blade back in its scabbard. The terrified elven man quickly got to his feet and ran out of the tavern like the denizens of hell were after him. Upon his exit several of the tavern's bar maid let out a cheer, seemingly happy about what had just occurred. Menelanna sighed and rubbed her temples to ward off the coming headache as she made her way towards her room.


	19. Chapter 19

**Yay! Another update! Gotta love Christmas break. Gives this little college student plenty of time to write. Enjoy!**

**The Shadowmaster**

The next morning Menelanna came down and ate her breakfast in silence. When Jaheira sat next to her, one look from the ranger told her it was best not to open her mouth at the moment. Once everyone had arrived and were prepared to head out the company made their way to Gaelen Bayle's home.

When the entered, the thief look up and gave them a smile. "Coo! You have returned. My employers have had a change of heart and are now will to accept 15,000 gold for the rescue of yer lass."

"What has caused this 'change of heart'?" the ranger inquired.

"Nothin' you need to worry yourselves about. Would you like to pay now? I assume that is why you are here."

The elf sighed, "Yes that is why we are here. Here is your gold." She tossed him the heavy purse. Bayle caught it in his hand and opened it. He took out one piece and bit it.

"Seems real enough. I will trust that the whole amount is here. Now you will be goin' to Shadowmaster Aran Linvail. Step carefully, my lady, the Shadowmaster does not suffer fools lightly. You will find the Shadow Thief guild house in the western part of the Docks. It is an orange brick building. Best of luck to you."

Menelanna nodded in understanding and left with her friends close behind. So it appeared they were working for the Shadow Thieves after all. The ranger was not too thrilled about dealing with cutthroats and thieves but at least it was better than siding with bloodsucking vampires.

-----------------

"Well I assume this is the place," Ajantis said in a taught voice as he looked up at the large orange building before them. It was obvious how much it grated the paladin to have to work with unlawful thieves. Menelanna was thankful that her friend was willing to stay by her to rescue her sister.

"Shall we go in?" came Kivan's quite reply.

Menelanna began to move to enter, but Anomen calmly stepped in front of her and opened the door. After peering inside to make sure thing appeared safe, he allowed the ranger to follow in after him. As soon as the door shut a man dressed in tanned leathers came forward and addressed them.

"What is yer business here? Speak quickly," he ordered.

"We have business with the Shadowmaster," Menelanna replied.

A look of shock and worry crossed the man's face, "Why didn't you say so when you came in! You must be Menelanna. The Shadowmaster has been waiting for you. Please, follow me."

The thief led them down a small hallway. Menelanna raised a brow when it led to a dead end. The man just smirked and tripped a secret lever to reveal the hidden door. Their guide escorted them through a series of complex twists and turns. During their walk the company could see many young men and women practicing their traits. Finally the thief stopped in from of a solid door, a tough looking guard stood on each side of the door way. After giving a soft tap on the door he opened it. After ushering Menelanna and the others inside he quickly disappeared down the way they had come.

Sitting at a small desk was rather handsome man. His graying hair showed that he was in his midlife stage. He looked up and gave them a warm smile. The man rose from his desk and came forward to greet the young ranger.

"Welcome to this place. I have been looking forward to meeting you. As you know I am Aran Linvail."

Menelanna nodded in response, "And as you know, I am Menelanna. Now what is you want of me?"

He smiled as if pleased, "Right to the point. That is fine with me. You are a very capable person and I propose a trade of services."

Anger flashed in the ranger's eyes. She opened her mouth to make some comment when Kivan quickly interrupted, "What of the gold we have paid? What services do you give for that?"

"I apologize if you feel that been wronged. The money you have provided is being put to good use."

Ajantis narrowed his eyes and glared at the Shadowmaster, "Your reputation is such that you should not let us wait to see results. I question you motives even now."

"These things take time," he explained. "In truth, we have been working long before you gave us the gold. Only a few minor points remain and they must be addressed." He reached into his desk and brought out a small box, "First and foremost; you will be compensated for the coin you have paid -- I have some items for you." He unlocked the box pulled out a couple of items, and handed them to the ranger.

At this point Anomen's anger reared its head, "Trinkets? You expect us to be appeased by a few baubles that could have been bought at the local bazaar? We have more important things to worry about!" Menelanna put a hand on his arm to silently quell his anger. Anomen looked down at her and let out a sigh but did not stop glaring darkly at the Shadowmaster.

"Now, I know you are eager to set off after Imoen, and I assure you that the time will come soon" he said carefully. "It takes time to allocate funds, however."

"Not too much time I hope," Menelanna said in a low but strong voice.

"No, no, no," he replied soothingly. "Everything is as it should be. There are merely some added difficulties that we have encountered. I regret that I must ask a few tasks of you. This guild war... it prevents us from going further." He paused for a moment then went on to explain, "Strange things are afoot at the docks. Shipments are disappearing, my employees along with them. We are significantly weakened by this, and I think it unlikely that you would be captured or wooed by the enemy. I would ask you to go to our landing bay, and strengthen our position this eve. There will be a girl there, named Mook. She is my guard captain, and you can trust her."

"Fine. We will do ask you ask. But you have better keep your end of the bargain Linvail," replied the annoyed elf.

He nodded, "Good hunting, and report back when you can."

------------------

"Seems we have a few hours to kill before we must meet with this Mook," Anomen stated as they left the Shadow Thief building. "What shall we do until then?"

"I think we can just relax until then. We have no idea what might happen tonight and we need to be ready," Jaheira suggested.

Menelanna nodded in agreement, "My thoughts exactly. Why don't we go to the local inn until the evening?"

They made their way to a dark tavern close to the harbor by the name of The Sea's Bounty. Inside the room was filled with rowdy sailors who were on their shore leave. Amongst the crowd one man looked up and smiled at seeing the parties entrance. He finished his tankard of ale and rose and came to greet them.

With a false smile on his face he spoke, "Ah! Jaheira, my darling, so good to see you. Won't you like to come and chat a while?"

"Friend of yours?" Menelanna asked the druid.

She shook her head, "I…I am sorry do I know you?"

"You do not remember?" he asked in tone that made Menelanna uneasy. "Ahh, but that is understandable. It has been years since we last spoke. Far too long really."

"Forgive me but I require a little more information. Your name again?" the druid asked.

The man gave a false cough in his hand. He seemed to starting to get annoyed. "My name is…Ployer, Baron Ployer.? Of the Calimshan Ployers? Come now, you must have some inkling?"

She shook her head, "No…no, I am terribly sorry but your face is unfamiliar. Perhaps if you told me what you do…"

At this point Ployer lost his temper and began yelling at the druid, "My name means nothing? Nothing?! I am Baron Ployer! PLOYER! You ruined me! And not remembering my name is an even greater insult! You are why I am destitute today. You and your Harper kin," he spat as he spoke the word. "accused me of breeding slaves in Calimshan. My business in Athkatla was taken! I was made a pauper and you do not even remember?!"

Jaheira put on a slightly smug smile at that point, "I remember well, but I wanted you to say and I wanted others could hear. Quite the outburst, Mister Ployer, I assume you are still at odds with your new life?"

He stared at her opened mouth, "You…you…this is the type of insolence I was talking about! It is not enough to ruin a man, you must also berate him!"

"That's our Jaheira for you," Menelanna muttered under breath earning a dark glare from the druid.

"MISTER Ployer. I wanted you _dead_ instead of merely being humiliated. The courts did not think death was warranted so they took your assets instead. That you must live in poverty is gratifying, if you must live at all. I would suggest you change your tone. I am not in a mood to give charity to old slavers."

"You better listen to her. You do not what to be on her bad side." Menelanna stated. This earned her a sharp cuff on the head from the druid. "OUCH! Hey watch it!"

Ployer laughed slightly, "Haven't lost your fire, I see. Still a Harper? That scrawny lout one too? That fellow Khalid you were once with was a better compliment. Is he here as well?"

The ranger's eyes narrow dangerously. Jaheira took a sharp intake of breath, trying to hold back her rage, "He is none of your concern. If you value your teeth you will not speak his name. You dirty it."

He scoffed, "And what of your friends here. Are they Harpers as well."

"I am part of no group or organization. But Jaheira is my friend and I there for stand by her and the Harpers," Menelanna spoke up.

"Ah…no matter. You are not my target anyways." His eyes meet Jaheira's squarely, "I am going to make you pay for everything you did to me. I did not find you by accident. You ruined me and now I am going to ruin you!"

Suddenly three mages in green and black robes appeared. Before Menelanna could even notch an arrow in her bow, Jaheira was hit in the chest by a spell. She was knocked to the ground but seemed relatively unhurt. Ajantis graciously helped the druid to her feet as she glared darkly at Ployer.

"What have you done! Speak!"

He laughed as he disappeared into a dimension door one of the mages cast. Even as he blinked out of sight his voice could still be heard, "It is my gift to you. You will slowly be destroyed, just as my family was. It is a curse, my nasty nasty curse. A little something I made just for you. You will have a slow lingering death…" his words trailed off unheard.

Jaheira rushed forward to where Ployer had just been standing, "By the Horns of Silvanus, I'll plat him beneath the Stone of Aisath if I…if I…" Suddenly she fell to the floor unable to stand.

"Jaheira!" Menelanna rushed forward and helped support her friend. "Are you alright? No don't answer. You are not alright. What can I do to help you?"

"Those mages were part of group," Xan observed. "I am sure if we can find them, we can find a way to get this curse removed. If it is tailored to Jaheira only the caster will be able to remove it."

"We must also find this scoundrel and make him pay for what he had done to Lady Jaheira," Anomen said angrily.

Menelanna nodded, "We will. But first we get you to a room. You should rest while we track this bastard down."

Jaheira brought herself to a shaky stand. Her voice was weak but still powerful, "No. I will not let you do this alone. I may not be much help right now, but I will come with you."

The ranger gave Jaheira a arm to help support her. Despite herself, Menelanna found herself smiling, "Stubborn ol' Jaheira. Alright. Anomen and Kivan, you go to the council building to see if you can find out anything on this group of wizards. The rest of us will track down Ployer. Meet back here in the evening."

Everyone gave a nod of understanding and headed out to find the way to cure their druid friend.


	20. Chapter 20

Wow got two chapters finished in one day. And also wow, 20 chapters! I am impressed with myself. When I started writting this I never imagined me actually keep up with it this long. But I am for sure going to finish!

A bit of an in-between chapter. Hope you enjoy.

**Cursed**

Jaheira leaned heavily on Menelanna as they walked. The ranger gave her companion a worried look.

"Do you have any idea where we can begin to look for this man?" she asked softly.

"cough There was a man who helped us expose Ployer. His name is Belgrade. I know that he is often at the Copper Cornet, so the bartender Bernard might now where to find him. Hopefully he… cough… he can help us locate Ployer," Jaheira managed to say weakly.

"Then we should head to the Copper Cornet. And quickly, I do not want to see this fate you are doomed to come to pass," Xan said morosely. Menelanna thought she also heard the enchanter mutter "But what is the point."

As they walked along Jaheira became obviously weaker and weaker. Ajantis calmly came next to the two women and scooped the druid into his arms. She tried to make a few protests but quickly gave in and allowed the paladin to carry her. When they at last arrived at the inn he set her back on her feet and helped her walking in.

Menelanna walked up to a portly man standing at the inn's bar. "Hello sir. Are you the barman Bernard?"

"I sure am. Is there…" he stopped and notice the weak druid. "Jaheira? Jaheira no games now, you look like you have just seen your own ghost or are about to. Young woman, you look about ninety! Are you ill?"

"I'm…I'm fine Bernard. I just need…" she started.

"You are not fine!" Menelanna interrupted. "She was cursed by a man named Ployer. We need to find someone named Belgrade. We believe he can help us find the man we seek."

"Belgrade…he is dead" he replied sadly. "Happened a while back. He got sick...oh my, sick just like you!"

Jaheira looked at him socked. She tried to speak but ended up coughing instead. After giving her a concerned look Menelanna addressed the bartender, "What of Ployer? Do you know where we can find the bastard?"

"He ain't welcome here. I would assume you can find him in one of the shacks in the slums. Maybe some of the folk on the streets may know. I wish you luck, for your own sake."

"Thank you," Menelanna replied before they left.

---------------

"By Helm! How can they not know of this group? We described their uniform to them. I thought these Cowled Wizards kept control over these magic users in the city!" Anomen yelled as they left the council building.

"Calm, Anomen. Let us not give up now," Kivan said calmly.

Suddenly a man in green and black robes came up to them. His colors showed that he was part of the same group that had cursed Jaheira. When the man put a hand they halted.

"Excuse me. I know of whom you seek. What is your business with my fellows? We are…available for hire."

"I take it you are a mercenary group," Kivan observed dryly.

"Perhaps. The Cowled Wizards keep a close eye on mages. So there is a demand for mages to perform certain…tasks. Especially if they grantee not to get caught," he explained.

"What is you wish? Speak quickly!" Anomen ordered.

"You have encountered us before in less than sociable circumstances. Now I am offering our assistance in performing a service for you. We have worked for this Ployer, and he asks for our services in the future. In truth we find him distaste full."

"You want us to pay to no longer aid this man," the stoic ranger stated.

The man smiled and nodded, "How does 1000 gold sound for us to not show up next time he calls."

Anomen opened his mouth to begin to protest. Kivan spoke first instead, "I like those odds better, but how does five hundred sound?"

"It will do. I will look forward to…not…working with either you or Mister Ployer again."

The man pocketed the gold Kivan handed over and abruptly left. Anomen turn and glared at Kivan.

"That man is apart of an evil organization. He and all his like should be smite! And you go and encourage it by paying him!" the priest declared.

"I did this to help save Jaheira's life. Do you want fight a group of skilled mages if it comes to blows with Ployer?" he asked calmly.

He let out a scoff, "I shall let this slide this time since Lady Jaheira's life is in danger. Let us leave this place."

---------------

"I sure hope this is the place," Menelanna groaned.

"According to the information I gleaned it should be," Yoshimo announced.

"Do we even want to know how you "gleaned" this information thief?" Ajantis asked.

Yoshimo gave a small chuckle. "Nothing you need to be concered with Sir Paladin. I only asked a few questions of the locals in a very persuasive manner."

"You bribed them," Xan stated.

Yoshimo just shrugged not denying the fact. Menelanna sighed and tried the door only to find it locked. She stepped aside and allowed Yoshimo to get to work.

"I knew there was a reason why I took you along with me!"

Once the bounty hunter had the door unlocked Menelanna lead the way in. Yoshimo was close behind with Xan and Ajantis supporting the weakened druid following. It seemed they had the right house. For sitting on a dirty mat of hay was Baron Ployer. He looked up annoyed then smirked at seeing the company.

"Ah, Jaheira I see you have drag your soon to be carcass here to see me. Are you hear to beg? To grovel? I don't mind, I have cleaned my shoes," he said mockingly.

Jahiera mustered enough strength to glare at him, "Despicable cough despicable wretch! You knew I would come here?"

"Of course," he gave a sly smile. "I am your only link to life, so what choice do you have? Come now, grovel at my feet I don't have all day."

"No, you have a minute, perhaps less. Honestly, do you expect Menelanna to let you live after what you have done," Xan asked matter of factly.

"I am…cough…here to grovel. You would sooner get that from my corpse!"

"And I will, unless I get the satisfaction I want now. Come now," he said almost soothingly. "I can cure you if you only drop your pretense of dignity and get your sickly carcass on its knees!"

"I am not here to grovel!" she managed to yell. "I may be sick…cough…I may even be dying, but you won't get that. I will take what is mine. I cough I will be free of your…of your…"

The druid suddenly lost her strength. If it was not for the strong paladin by her side she would most likely have collapsed to the ground.

"You are ready to collapse! You can't even speak! Now of course you will have to grovel in pantomime. What could be more degrading than that?"

At this point Menelanna stepped forward and gave Ployer a threatening look. "She may be ill," she said in a low growl, "But I am not. You _will_ end this curse and you _will _leave her alone. Am I understood?"

"Your threats mean nothing. You expected to find an old man in hiding, but I had hoped Jaheira would come because by that time she would have been utterly crippled. I would enjoy crushing her, but I will settle for you. Meet my hirelings! Kill them!" When nothing happened for a moments he glanced around nervously. "Er…attack!"

Menelanna smirked, "Well looks like Anomen and Kivan have taken care of your little "hirelings". Not so tough without your back up huh?"

"But…no! Everyone is against me!" He looked like he was ready to go on a yelling rampage, but with the elven ranger standing over him he immediately cowered.

"You _will _remove this curse. And you _will _never…and I mean _never_ bother either my friends or the Harpers again. Do I make myself clear?"

"Aye…you have won today, but…"

"But nothing," she interrupted. "You will do nothing if you wish to see tomorrow."

"Very well. Here. This is the personal item that ties the curse to her. With it she will recover normally. Now get out of here." He handed what appeared to be lock of Jaheira's hair over to the elf, who accepted it with a gracious smile.

"A pleaser doing business with you."

Menelanna handed the item to Jaheira. She immediately seemed to regain some of her strength. She suddenly grabbed her weapon and approached Ployer. "No deals for a slayer of Harpers," she said quietly. Ployer could not even let out a scream as Jaheira killed him with one blow. Menelanna nodded grimly and lead the way back to the Sea's Bounty in hopes of meeting back up with their other two companions.


	21. Chapter 21

**Okay…next chapter. Bit shorter than some of my other ones, but I did not want to both of Aran Linvail's tasks into one chapter. Doing this way gives me more time to do other stuff I have planned. ;) Well enjoy and review! **

**Working with Thieves **

"No, you are going to stay here and rest. That is final. You may be feeling better but you still do not have all your strength back. What you need is a full nights rest," the young ranger ordered.

"Fine. Be safe though," replied the defeated Jaheira. Menelanna gave her a smile and bid her a goodnight before leaving the druid's room and quietly shut the door. Xan was waiting for her at the end of the hall. As the two elves walked to meet the others together a wry smirk spread across his lips.

"What?" Menelanna asked with raised brow.

"Nothing. Just never though I would see that happen," he said softly.

"Oh, me actually being the one nagging Jaheira instead of the other way around? Had to happen sometime," she said with a small smile. "Now lets go find our friends and meet up with this Mook person."

Everyone joined up in the Sea's Bounty's common room. Once they were all accounted for they ventured out in the brisk evening of the Athkatla docks. They made their way down to their meeting point and were promptly greeted by a dark hair young woman.

"You must be Menelanna. The one Aran was gonnna send."

The ranger nodded, "That I am. And you must be Mook."

"I am. Now all I need you to do is keep watch while a few of us unload the cargo." She glanced around at the group and let out a small smile at seeing the number of elves in the group, "Glad to see a few elven folk with you. Your kind can see much better than us humans this time of night. And we will be needing those eyes. For the past few days I have been seeing a man appear around here…he looks kind of odd if I say so myself. Anyways just keep a sharp watch while we get the cargo unloaded."

Menelanna nodded and followed Mook down the plank to where a small boat was tied. Several men were milling about and carrying boxes and loading them into a wagon a short distance away. The ranger sighed and stretched, she hope this would be an uneventful night.

For a long time silence hung over the group. Anomen decided to break the silence by softly speaking to Menelanna. He moved next to her and she looked up at him a gave him a warm smile.

"Want something?" she asked softly.

"I just wanted to speak with you My Lady. I have been pondering upon this matter of your…peculiar heritage of yours," he replied, speaking softly enough for only those gathered closest could hear his words. Xan glance up and watched the priest closely as he spoke on. "I find myself filled with admiration and wonder for you, truly. The blood of a former god of murder flow though your veins…and yet you are an honorable woman. You have done great things and have earned respect."

"Thank you," she said quietly. "But you do not need to flatter me."

"I do not seek to flatter My Lady, I only speak what I see as the truth. I wonder…How is that you are able to do these things? Is there no internal struggle against urges you cannot control? Do you not feel awash in a sea of vile impulses?"

"Of course Anomen," she answered honestly. "I struggle daily against the taint. There will always be a struggle, but I will do what I must to keep control over it. And not let it control me."

"Yes…always a struggle," he echoed her words. He let out a long sigh before going on, "And, yet, you always manage to come out on top, do you not? It must be easy for you My Lady…you are a force of good and this blood seems to have no powerful influence over you." Suddenly something seemed to snap inside of Anomen and his eye flashed with anger, "'Always a struggle?' Bah! If I had such evil blood in me, I would be withering on the ground! I…I could not do what you do! Why must I endure this?! Just…just stand away from me, woman! I stand on the precipice of a test that will decide whether my dream dies, and you are not helping! Away from me, so that I might think!"

Before he could turn away from her she glared darkly at him. A second later she stuck him soundly in the face. The force of her blow and he surprise at being stuck sent him staggering back wards and toppling of the edge of the pier into the cold harbor water. Everyone looked up at the sound of the suddenly splash. Shortly after the priest's head emerged from the water as he struggled to stay a float with his heavy armor on.

"Don't ever vent your frustration and anger on me when I do not deserve it again!" Menelanna shouted at him before turning her back and stalking to the other end of the pier.

Kivan and Ajantis quickly moved forward and helped the floundering priest out of the water. Despite himself Xan could not keep and amused smirk off his face, "Anomen, you should know by now that it is not wise to anger our leader. It is not healthy." A sudden harsh glare from Menelanna wiped the smirk of his face and Xan turned his face away from the angry ranger.

"You know you _did_ deserve that," Yoshimo said quietly to Anomen. Kivan and Ajantis nodded in agreement.

Mook suddenly came up and gave the group an annoyed look, "I though we were suppose to be quite. Anyways everything is unloaded, we will be done in just a few more minutes." Menelanna suddenly spotted a pale looking man heading in their direction. She silently moved up next to Mook and pointed him out. The thief nodded and went up to address the stranger. The ranger could see that the two were exchanging words but could not hear what was spoken. Suddenly the young thief turn towards them shouting, "Menelanna, to me! Treachery is a foot!" These were the last words she spoke before the man tore out her throat with clawed hands.

"This is what you get for siding with Mistress Bohdi's enemies," the vampire said wickedly before rushing towards them.

Immediately Kivan, Menelanna, and Yoshimo began to pelt the creature with arrows, while Ajantis and the soaked Anomen engaged it in melee. With their combined strength it was not long before the vampire leapt back with a snarl. "You should have let yourselves die tonight. You are sure to suffer greatly when you face my Mistress," he hissed before shifting into the form of a bat and disappearing into the night.

Menelanna sighed. So much for the uneventful night she had hoped. She was not looking forward to facing the Shadowmaster the next day to bring him this grim news.

---------------

"Anomen? What happened to your eye?" Jaheira asked when she rejoined the group in the morning.

"He angered our dear your leader," Yoshimo said with a grin.

Anomen grunted and turned away not wanting to make eye contact with anyone, let alone Menelanna. Jaheira raised a brow, "Is that so? Perhaps someone should tell me how this occurred."

"Glad to see you are feeling better, Jaheira," Menelanna interrupted. "We best get going. We need to report to Aran Linvail and I would like to get it over with as soon as possible."

With that she lead the way back to the Shadow Thief guild house. They were once again led down to the Shadowmaster's room and ushered inside. Aran Linvail looked up and gave them a welcoming smile.

"What have you to report?" he inquired.

Menelanna brief gave him an account of what had occurred involving the vampire. Linvail nodded grimly, "She was a friend. I had hoped your support would have prevented deaths. Too many of my people have been killed or gone missing recently. This proves what I have feared: this rival guild knows out actions well." He stood up from his desk and let out a long sigh, "Likely due to traitors that have joined them. We must stop anymore from leaving us. Two of our men, Jaylos and Caehan, are planning on leaving us and joining the other guild. They are to meet their contact in the Five Flagon's Tavern in the Bridge District. Go there and pose as one of our enemy's new recruits. The contact could arrive at anytime, so go there now and bring back any information you gather."

Menelanna nodded, "Very well."

The company made there way towards the Bridge District. Menelanna sighed to herself. She had been hoping she was getting closer to finding Imoen, but now it seemed she was just running errands for a thief. She prayed to Soloron that this would not last for much longer, for Imoen's sake.


	22. Chapter 22

Woot! I update again in the same day. Man I love being on break!

Maybe I should tell a bit about what an Arcane Archer (AA for short) is before I fully make Mene one.

And AA is a warrior of elven blood who has mastered both the bow and magic and are highly respected in the elven community as elite warriors. As they master both they gain different skills. There skills are as follows:

Imbue arrow: The AA is capable of imbuing their arrow with any touch spell (such as burning hands or shocking grasp) and then firing the arrow. The spell with then effect whoever the arrow hits. (Can do this as many times a day as they have spells available.)

Seeker arrow: think heat seeking missile for an arrow. Whoever the archer wants to hit the arrow will hit, not matter what. (Once per day)

Arrow of Death: Will instantly kill its target.

Okay, now that you know what an Arcane Archer is...time for the chapter!

**The Arcane Archer**

"Okay this seems to be the place," whisper Menelanna as they stood outside one of the rooms in the Five Flagons Tavern. "Lets act like we are jumping sides with them. We can glean more information that way."

The others nodded in understand, except for Anomen and Ajantis who waited down stairs. It had been agreed that the two men would not join them on this since they did not exactly look the part of thieves trying to betray their guild. Two men were sitting there, a human and a dwarf. They jumped up as the door swung open and the elf stepped in.

"You are you? Damn, I knew we'd be followed!" the dwarf yelled as he fumbled for his weapon.

The human waved to his friend to lower his weapon, "Ease up Jaylos. Maybe they are here for the same reason we are. Lots were talking about making the switch."

Menelanna let out a sigh of relief, "That is exactly why we are here. We are looking for greener grass you could say. How about we just wait together for the contact to arrive?"

Jaylos seemed to be put at ease by Menelanna words, "Alright. But I'll be watching you for any funny business."

The group entered and sat down at the large table in centre of the room. It seemed like the contact was not going to be there soon so Menelanna occupied her time studying some of the spells Xan had been teaching her. He sat next to her quietly instructing her one the details of a particular spell. She nodded in understanding and decided to test it out. The two thieves jumped out of their chairs and fire suddenly shot from her hand.

Menelanna smile sheepishly at them, "Sorry. Practicing some magic while wait for the contact."

The human, Caehen, raised a brow, "Why learn magic? I always felt the sword was better."

"Magic can be an invaluable tool," she replied calmly.

"Shut it you two," Jaylos yelled.

"Now is a time I wished I was skilled enough to cast Silence," the elf mutter winning a chuckle from those gathered around.

Menelanna just smirked slightly, shook her head, and went back to her spell book.

-------------

Anomen tapped his foot impatiently. Ajantis looked over at the younger man and shook his head, "Don't be so impatient Anomen."

"But why must we wait here? Why are we made to stay down here? What if something has happened to them?" he barked out.

"You know the reason why," the paladin replied calmly. "You and I cannot really pass a thieves and that is what Menelanna needs to be seen as at the moment. Besides if any fighting does break out, we will be able to hear it."

Anomen shook his head and went into sulking. Several minutes passed when Ajantis tapped his shoulder. The priest looked up slightly annoyed, until a suspicious looking man was pointed out. The man made his way across the tavern room and made his way upstairs.

"Seems we have our contact. Stay alert," Ajantis whispered.

Several more minutes past when they suddenly heard shouting and the sounds of combat. The two men shared a glance before grabbing their weapons and running upstairs.

---------------

Everyone looked up when the door opened. A heavily armored man stepped in. when he noticed the number gathered there he gave a surprised look. His eyes suddenly narrowed as his gaze fell upon Menelanna. The ranger and her friends tensed, this was not going to be fun.

"What is this?" the man asked.

"These are some more people who wish to join yer side," Jaylos explained.

"No, I don't think they are. That woman resembles the description of Menelanna. An enemy of our guild."

"What?!" both Jaylos and Ceahen yelled.

Before their enemies could react the friends sprang into movement. Yoshimo drew his katana and began to parry with the human thief while Kivan took his spear and dealt with the dwarf. The contact began to advance himself but was halted but the druid. Xan was peppering the two thieves with spells while Menelanna tried to find an opening in the contacts armor. The best she could do was graze a small opening in his shoulder with her arrows. An idea suddenly popped into her head.

"Worth a try," she said to herself. She fitted an arrow into her bow and began to mutter her spell. The arrow flashed red right before she released it from its shaft. Upon impact flames spread out from the arrow and lit the contacts cloths on fire. Jaheira took hold of her advantage and quickly slew him. The other two men were quickly defeated.

Everyone turned and began staring at Menelanna. Xan gave her a smile and an approving nod. All heads turned when Anomen and Ajantis burst into the room weapons at the ready. Both men seem relieved to see the battle done and everyone in good health.

"What happened to him?" Ajantis asked as he noticed the burn marks on the dead contact and the smoldering arrow in his shoulder.

"Menelanna has now become an arcane archer," Kivan explained proudly.

----------------

"Ah you have returned. What have you to report of Jaylos and Caehen?" the Shadowmaster greeted as they reentered his room.

"The contact and your thieves are dead. We also found this letter on the contact that mentioned the Graveyard District," the elf said as she handed the letter over to him.

"The Graveyard District. Undoubtedly they have made their lair within the crypts below. Not surprising, considering the nature of our enemy."

"You could not figure out that was their hiding place by yourself? They _are _vampires after all," Menelanna remarked.

**"**We had to be certain. The time had come to stick back to protect our people, and the city she invaded."

"How noble of you," Xan muttered dryly.

"Go to the graveyard in two days time. By then I will have a spy sent down to help you enter Bohdi's lair. You will meet him by a set of blue doors in the northern section of the crypt." He continued giving details on when and were they were to meet their contact. He finished off by handing Menelanna several wooden stakes, "I do believe these will be useful to you. You have my best wishes Menelanna. I wish you well."

"The well wishing will no doubt make all the difference in the vampire's den," Kivan muttered as they left.

---------------

"Well it seems we have some time on our hands before we are required to meet up with Linvail's contact. What shall we do now?" Menelanna asked.

"I think it may be best if I go speak with Renal Bloodscalp. He is one of the guildmasters for the shadow thieves," Yoshimo interjected. "He does not like…freelancers like myself. I am sure he has heard I am in town by now and I do not want to anger him."

"Fine, but you are not going alone. Lets go talk to this Renal guy."

Yoshimo nodded, seemingly relieved and lead the way. Back to the guild house. He took them upstairs where they found a young man with a cowl pulled low over his eyes. He was leaning back in a large push chair, and when he noticed the newcomers he sat up and gave an amused smile.

"My, my. If it not the freelancer, Yoshimo come to see me at last. I had nearly thought the streets had opened up and swallowed you whole, dear lad."

"I am so pleased that you gave any thought to my well-being, sire. It is always good to be remember by ones peers," the Kara-tur replied with a bow.

"Well now, that you would imply you were one of my peers, as oppose to a rag-tag independent infringing on our territory. You are too much, Yoshi," he replied with a grin.

Menelanna let out a small giggle at see Yoshimo being called by such a pet name. Yoshimo let out a nervous cough, "Yoshimo, if you please, sire. Where I come from, such a pet name by…well, let us just say we have not become that familiar yet, hm?"

Renal chuckled, "Point taken. Now, have you come to pay your debt for your recent activities or are we to simply exchange barbs until I am forced to do something hideous?"

"I have come as you have commanded, sire. You have a task for me?" Yoshimo replied.

"I thought I did, but you have done something better." His eyes moved to look over Menelanna. "Your traveling companion is of interest to me and you have brought her to me. My thanks."

"And why am I of interest to you. Many people who have taken "interest" with me did not like the out come."

"It is nothing like that. Come speak with me for a moment. You'll have to excuse me if you not quite what I was expecting. For all I have been told I was expecting someone…grander."

"And what exactly have to heard of me?" inquired the ranger.

"Oh tales of your exploits. Some here in Athkatla and others in north."

"Alright…now what do you want with me?"

"Right to the point, eh? To be short, Gaelen recommended you, and I trust his words. I need mercenaries to perform a task, and you are just the one to do it."

"Why not have some of your thieves do it? You have plenty of them at your command."

"A fair enough question. I need someone who is more or less unknown to most of us. Someone, I trust, like yourself."

"Fine," she sighed. "I will listen to what you have to say but I make no promises."

He nodded and began to explain how one of his guild houses, run by a thief named Mae'ver, was getting to ambitious. Renal suspected him of desiring to take his power, but had no proof the matter. He explained how he needed proof before he could act with out angering the other guild masters.

"I understand the situation, but how am I to get this proof?"

"I was just getting there. I will give you papers saying you are being transferred by the Shadowmaster. Once inside I trust you will figure out what to do."

"Fine. I will do this, but I cannot let this get in the way of what the Shadowmaster has already requested of me."

Renal nodded, "Very well. Take your time in the matter. And I understand that you must first serve the Shadowmaster." He waved them a far well as the company took their leave.

_So much for having a bit of free time_, a voice spoke up in her head. Menelanna glanced over to see Boo sitting on her shoulder looking at her intensely.

_At least it is something to keep me busy until we need to deal with the vampires. Do you object to this my furry little friend? _her thoughts replied.

_Not really. So long as we do not have to do anything too wrong while dealing with this Mae'ver. _

_Believe me, I have the same thoughts _she replied to him.


	23. Chapter 23

**Memories and Dreams**

Menelanna felt uneasy as she walked past the cells that lead to where this Mae'ver was. Through the bars she could see men suffering. She wished there was something she could do, but knew she was powerless to help them at this point.

As the came close and a hood man in dark leathers looked up and assessed the group. Menelanna had once again asked Ajantis and Anomen to remain behind since they needed to pose as thieves again.

"Hello there. I hope you have a reason to be bothering me, for I am quite busy, as you can see," he said with a wicked grin as he gestured to a torture table which had some poor soul chained down to it. "Ah, poor Lin has passed out. I've a few moments to spare then. Who are you and why shouldn't I kill you?"

"I am with the Shadow Thieves. You would not harm your own kin, would you?" Menelanna responded.

The smile that Mae'ver gave made the ranger's blood run cold, "Ask my cousin here. He relied on sentiment; thought it would get him out of stealing from the guild coffers. Perhaps, but not before he has learned about crossing his betters."

Xan surprised everyone when he suddenly stepped next to Menelanna staring darkly at Mae'ver. His hands were twitching as if ready to launch into his spells, "Try it, and you will see your own men tearing you to pieces! Leave her alone!" Menelanna gapped at the enchanter unable to speak from shock of this sudden act of foolish bravery.

Mae'ver seemed unmoved by the enchanter's threat. Instead his spoke in a soothing but threatening voice, "Ah, perhaps you wish to writhe under red-hot pinchers besides her?" Xan was visibly shaken by this prospect but he managed to hold his ground. Mae'ver gave a small laugh and turn to Menelanna again, "Perhaps you suggest a kinder, gentler punishment for my 'kin'? Or perhaps I should introduce you to the rack instead, so we might determine your true kinship."

Memories of Irenicus and her time spent with him flashed through her thoughts and the suggestion of torture. The ranger tried to suppress these memories and not let this man find her weakness so he could exploit it. She opened her mouth to speak but found she could not find the strength to address him again. The vile man merely smiled at seeing her in such discomfort, "Or perhaps not. Didn't scare you did I? Fear will keep you honest. You won't want to end up like Lin here, with me having to test your honesty. Difficult to do with certainty."

Menelanna was exceedingly grateful when Jaheira spoke up for her, "I can assure you, we are in good with the Shadow Thieves."

"Hmm. We shall see. For now, I shall dispense some pissant task to keep you out of my hair. I shall test your worth with a good old-fashion self-serving errand. I suppose I should make the task something you won't completely balk at. How about a petty little larceny amidst those stuffed robes at the Talos temple? I require an amulet worn by the Weathermistress. You need not kill her to get it. I am sure she removes it at night. Now get moving! I have told you the mark, you do the rest."

Menelanna managed a nod of understanding before turning and beginning to leave. A groan told her that poor Lin had reawakened. She hastened her pace to leave quickly as she heard his screams of pain.

----------------

As soon as she was outside the ranger sank to the ground and began to shake. Being in Mae'ver's torture chamber had reawakened her memories of her own torture at Irenicus' hands. Kivan and Jaheira gently help her to her feel whispering calmly in her ear. They began to guide her back to the inn with Xan following closely looking over the ranger with a worried expression.

Jaheira halted for a moment, "Yoshimo. It will be night soon. Do you think you could handle this task on your own?"

Yoshimo smiled and gave her a bow, "This is a simple task for the great Yoshimo. I will return before the morning breaks."

As Yoshimo disappeared down the darkening street, the others lead the still shacking Menelanna into the Sea's Bounty Tavern. Anomen and Ajantis, who had been waiting for them, jumped up when they saw them enter. Jaheira held up and hand to keep the men of talking and allowed Xan to see Menelanna to her room. Once the elves were out of sight Jaheira let out a sigh and shook her head worryingly.

"What happened?" Anomen ventured to ask.

"We saw Mae'ver. He was torturing a man and I am guessing the sight brought back Menelanna's memories of her own torture. She will be fine, she is just shaken," the druid explained.

"Where is Yoshimo?" Ajantis asked.

Kivan explained the task they had been given and that Yoshimo had gone off to perform it. Ajantis nodded grimly, obviously not approving of the thievery but not minding it happening to the evil servants of Talos.

After a short while Kivan and Jaheira retired to their rooms leaving the men alone again. Anomen sighed and look toward the stairs. He was worried about Menelanna. He slowly brought himself to his feet, "I am going to check on Lady Menelanna."

"I do not think that is wise," advised Ajantis.

"Why? I am worried for her and want to help her!" exclaimed the surprised priest.

"I do not think she will be wanting to see you. Not after how you acted the other night. Before you can help her you must apologize to her and gain her forgiveness. And I do not think now would be a good time for that," Ajantis explained.

Anomen sighed heavily and gently touched his eye. He winched at both the memory of that night and the tenderness of his bruised eye. "I guess you are right. I will address her in the morning," Anomen admitted.

-------------------

Xan gently stroked Menelanna's hair. Freed from its tight braids it flowed over shoulders like a river a liquid fire. Tears flowed freely from her eyes as her entire body shook. Ever since her capture by Irenicus even the slightest suggestion of torture would bring her memories rushing back as if the flood gates had been opened.

Slowly she began to feel better. Xan's gentle voice, reassuring her and the pressure of his arms around her made her feel safe. She knew she was surrounded by friends who cared for her and loved her.

Xan watched as her tears eventually dried and she began to drift into her reverie. He laid her down and covered her with a sheet. The enchanter looked down at the resting ranger. She was so peaceful now, so beautiful. Rage filled him as he though about how this monster called Irenicus had done harm to her. He could not comprehend how anyone could harm something as gentle and lovely as her. He reached forward a move a lock of hair from her face before leaning down and placing a gentle kiss above her brow. The enchanter sighed and gave her one last look of longing before silently leaving.

----------------

As Anomen came to the top of the stairs he saw Xan shutting the door to Menelanna's room. The enchanter looked up and nodded to the priest. "She rests," he answered Anomen's unspoken question. He bid the priest good night before making his way towards his own room. Anomen sighed, thankful to hear that Menelanna seemed to be doing better. He opened the door to his room, it was time for him to get some rest as well.

---------------

The next day the sun was bright. Anomen smiled and Menelanna walked by his side. She had been quick to forgive him for his foolish actions. Despite his happiness at gaining her forgiveness he was extremely nervous. Just she acted his apology Sir Ryan Trawl entered the tavern and greeted Anomen. It was time for his test.

At Anomen's request Menelanna gladly accompanied him to the Order's headquarters. As they approached the grand building Anomen halted breathing hard. Menelanna gently took his arm and smiled up at him. "Don't worry," she said calmly. "I am positive you will pass."

The priest took a deep breathe before opening the finely carved doors and entering. Sir Ryan Trawl was waiting for him inside. He gave both of them a warm greeting and wish Anomen luck before ushering them into the main hall. Menelanna let out a gasp of awe and she saw the grand interior of the building. Great marble columns supported the ceiling and the walls were adorned with finely woven tapestries.

Several knights of the order were gathered in the room to watch over Anomen's test. In the middle was a man in shinning armor, this was Prelate Wessalen, the one who would be judging Anomen. Menelanna stood back and watch with anticipation as Anomen kneeled before the Prelate.

Anomen was filled with so much nervous energy that he was barely able to concentrate on the Prelate's words. He did not know how he managed to speak the appropriate words in response to the man's opening statements. The priest opened his mind and allowed the elderly man judge his thoughts and heart. After what seemed to be forever Anomen felt the presence upon his mind leave.

"The judgment is clear. I dub the Sir Anomen Delryn arise and give your oath," the man's words came at last.

Anomen came to his feet slowly; he could not believe that his dream had finally come true! He made is oath to the order, then the Prelate advised him to speak with Sir Ryan Trawl. Anomen bowed and turned to see Menelanna beaming at him with a delighted smile. She walked with him to talk with Sir Ryan Trawl. Both were exceedingly happy to find out the Anomen would be allowed to remain in Menelanna's party.

As they exited the building Anomen could barely contain his joy. Menelanna gave a delighted laugh and congratulated him. As they walked together they passed a small garden. A particular flower seemed to catch Anomen's eye for he plucked it a presented it to Menelanna.

"See this flower I have picked here? Tis a rare find…a crimson rhodelia, if I am not mistaken," he said with a smile and a bright spark in his eyes. A weight seemed to have been lifted from his shoulders now, and Menelanna was very happy to see this new man before her.

She smiled back at him sweetly, "A very lovely flower."

Anomen placed the flower behind her pointed ear. "It color is of a most fiery temperament, thought its color pales in comparison to your fine hair," he said with a grin. "Despite its striking color it has a sweet aroma. It is the flower of lovers, yet it is also the flower of vengeance and warriors." Anomen took a deep breath and prepared himself of what he was going to say next, "It reminded me of you. Beautiful to look upon, yet with a powerful nature. I find myself drawn to its scent, almost to distraction."

Menelanna blushed and quickly looked away from the handsome knight, "You are quite the flatterer."

He gently touched her chin and brought her gaze back to his, "Nonsense, my Lady. Flattery would imply that I was exaggerating. I find instead that this flower is but a pale imitation of the attraction you hold over me." He took a deep intake of breath, he seemed far more nervous now than he had for his test. "You might find what I say forward. And if you find it unwelcome I will desist. But I have found my feelings for you have grown beyond mere friendship or alliance. I have said many times how grateful I am, but I have never said I was attracted to you from the start…your heart, your bright soul, not to mention your beauty…" He suddenly stopped and looked at her with a worried expression on his face, "Do...do my words offend you, my lady?Have I overstepped myself?"

"No," she whispered "I take no offense. In fact, I rather like it."

Anomen was stunned into silence. He could not believe this day. Not only had he attained his dream of becoming a knight, he had gained this woman's affections. As he sought words to say to her, she drew him close and gently pressed her lips against his…

--------------

Anomen woke with a start as sunlight spread across his face. Slowly he remembered his dream. He let out a long sigh, it was a dream…only a dream. But how he desired this dream to come to reality. He slowly rolled out of bed and began to dress. Once he was dressed he made is way down stairs to find Menelanna sitting there alone. He took a deep breath and ventured towards the ranger.

"My Lady, may…may I speak with you?" he began.

Menelanna looked up and gave him a dark look. After a short silence, "Fine, speak your piece."

"I...I am truly sorry, my lady.I asked a question of you, and my response to your answer was nothing short of reprehensible.Please...please forgive me," he begged of her.

"Forget it, Anomen.I've received enough abuse from you...and more than enough apologies," the elf replied angrily.

"Aye, perhaps that is so.I have abused our friendship badly, and you must think me a very strange sort to speak so plainly about my urges and feelings," he admitted. Menelanna now saw how difficult it was for him to humble himself to apologize for once again losing his temper. "'Tis the training of the Order, my lady.I must watch my every deed, my every thought, in the battle to keep myself pure.And it is a battle I fear I am losing. I had simply thought that you were a kindred sort, Menelanna.I see a similar struggle in you...and thought that, as a friend, you might understand me a little."

Menelanna sighed and berated herself for being so harsh on the man, "Perhaps I was hasty, then.I do wish to be your friend, Anomen."

Anomen sighed and let out a smile of relief. He was about to say more when an armored figure entered the tavern. Anomen looked at the man in surprise as he came towards them.

"Squire Anomen, a word if you please," he addressed.

Anomen stood and nervously responded, **"**How may I be of assistance?"

"I am Sir Ryan Trawl, a Paladin of the Order of the Most Radiant Heart. In Torm's name I greet thee."

"I greet thee also," Anomen said formally. "The time has come?"

Sir Ryan nodded,** "**Indeed it has. In the name of the Prelate, the council requests your return to the High Hall."

"I shall return and stand in Helm's light to be judged for my deeds and strength of arms," managed to reply though it was obvious how nervous he was.

"So shall it be. In Torm's name I bless thee, Anomen."

"And also thee."

"I shall see you at the High Hall, Anomen. Good luck!" said finally before taking his leave.

Anomen slowly sat back down and took a moment to compose himself again. He could not believe it was now time. He would finally find out if his childhood dream would come to a reality. He turned towards Menelanna, "Please My Lady, I would be honored if you would come a view my judgment."

"I will gladly come. Let us first tell the others before we make our way towards the Order's headquarters."

Anomen nodded in agreement. It was time to see if his dream was about to come true.


	24. Chapter 24

**Okay...another chapter up. I hope to get one more up before the new year. At least with my next chapter I am not going to need to get so much game dialog as some of my other chapters which helps speed up my writting. Well hope you enjoy and please review. **

**And lastly...Happy New Year!**

**Dealing with Thieves**

"So while you and Ajantis go to Anomen's test you would like the rest of us to continue to deal with Mae'ver?"

Menelanna nodded, "That is right. Yoshimo I hope you did manage to get the amulet he wanted."

The thief smiled and held up the ornate necklace, "Would I fail you?"

"Alright well good luck to you guys. See you later," the ranger said with a smile as she left with the two men.

Xan watched as Menelanna left. She seemed to be in a better mood now and he was thankful that she did not have to go down to Mae'ver's torture area again. He did not want to see her in such distress again. A sigh exited his lips as he left the tavern with the others to report to Mae'ver.

--------------

"Ah you have returned at last. I'll cancel the order to kill you then. Now, lets have a look at that amulet," Mae'ver said as Jaheira lead the way in. Yoshimo stepped forward and handed the amulet to the guild master. Mae'ver smiled as he studied the amulet. After he was done assessing the amulet he pocketed it. He glance about the group before raising a brow. "Where is your leader? The elven woman?"

"She…has something to attend to. She has ordered us to report to you and do the tasks you see us fit to do," Jaheira explained.

Mae'ver shrugged not really caring at all. "I care not who leads your little party. Now, let me put you to some real work. I don't have time to piddle around with you, so my right hand man will keep you busy until you can work for me personally. His name is Edwin. Bloody good spell caster but he likes his luxuries. He is on the third floor. Now get going."

Jaheira nodded and lead the way upstairs. Xan followed but let out a groan. As soon as the exited the room he spoke up, "I do hope this is not the Edwin we met in Nashkel. The one who tried to kill us."

Jaheira shook her head, "I do not see how it could be. We ended up killing him remember. Menelanna did not particularly like him trying to kill Dynaheir and the rest of us along with her." The druid finished speaking as she came to the top of the third flight of stairs. She swore as she saw the man in bright red robes sitting at a desk. It appeared Xan's fears were correct.

Edwin looked up and gave the group superior look before addressing them, "Greeting, I am Edwin Odesseiron. But you simians may refer to me merely as "Sir" if you require a less… syllable intensive workout."

Jaheira scoffed and glared at the red mage, "I remember you all too clearly Edwin. As I recall…you should be dead!"

Edwin just waved her off as if she did not matter, "Death is often no more than a momentary inconvenience for one such as I. My ultimate mission is too important to suffer distractions for simpletons." Edwin seemed completely oblivious to the dark glare the druid was giving him as he continued his little speech. "Hear me. It seems my prowess as a mage has captured the eye of the Cowled Wizards. I'm certain they are envious, though their actions are not fitting tribute."

Xan let out a scoff, "Envious? Why of course they would be, with such a magnificent example before their eyes. Why work for the Shadow Thieves at all, Edwin? I would have expected you to move on into the Council of Six at the very least."

Edwin scoffed, "As if I would want anything to do with them. Never the less the Cowled Wizards have dispatched an agent to investigate my activities, something I don't appreciate. This insult must be punished by killing the Cowled agent -- Rayic Gethras is his name. His house is a grey three-story behind a fence along the westward wall of the Docks District; if he is home, his door will be open."

Jaheira narrowed her eyes, she did not like the prospect of killing this man, even if he was a Cowled Wizard. She wanted to protest but knew that would be foolish. Instead she responded with a nod. "It will be done," she said but secretly hoped that they could in someway spare the man's life.

"Good," nodded Edwin approvingly, before directing his attention back to some papers on his desk. He waved them off without even giving them the courtesy of a glance, "Don't linger about then, get going! (Ugh, motivating these sloths is like pulling teeth.)"

The druid literally had to bite her tongue to keep from snapping at the arrogant mage. Her temper began to decline as Kivan placed a calming hand on her arm and directed her to lead the way out.

-------------------

"Oh! What a grand day it is!" exclaimed the newly knighted Anomen as they exited the building.

Menelanna laughed happily at seeing his joy, "I am truly happy for you Anomen."

"As am I. I congratulate you _Sir_ Anomen," Ajantis said with a grin.

"I have attained my dream and I have you to thank My Lady."

Menelanna merely smiled and shook her head, "You have nothing to thank me for. You were well on your way to becoming a knight long before you met me. I am just happy to have met you and had the honor of seeing your dream fulfilled." She suddenly took his arm and began to drag him down the cobble stone street, "Come on _Sir _Anomen, we have to some friends to catch up with so we can share this news!"

As the three companions walked together Anomen found his eyes drifting to look over the beautiful Menelanna. Would the second part of his dream come true as well? He was more than willing to share his feelings with her, but with Ajantis with them he could not. The young knight decided he would wait till he could get Menelanna alone before making his confession.

--------------------

"Well that could have gone better," Kivan said quietly as he stomped out the last of the flames on his cloak.

As soon at they entered the house the group was attacked by a variety of mephids. Rayic must have heard the noise of the fight for as soon as they entered his room they were greeted with a fire ball. Shortly after a single arrow from Yoshimo's short bow felled the wizard. Jaheira was thankful that the fire ball had done them little damage beyond singing Kivan's long cloak.

Soon they were on their way back to bring the news to Edwin. The red wizard seemed pleased to hear Rayic was dead. Pleased enough that he insulted them some more and sent them immediately on another mission. This time they were to steal some documents from a man in the Sea's Bounty. It seemed this was another task best left up to Yoshimo. Kivan, Jaheira, and Xan waited outside while the thief entered the tavern. No more than a minute later he reappeared, documents in hand and merchant unaware of their disappearance.

Jaheira was less than pleased to find herself before Edwin once again. Once he hand the documents in hand he quickly secured them away in a fold in his robes, "Well it seems you have exceeded the exceedingly low expectations I had place on you. I am done with you. Now go to Mae'ver. Now! (Ugh! Why do I have to deal with the mindless monkeys?)"

"And why do I have to deal with an idiot like this man?" muttered Jaheira as she left the wizard behind.

-----------------

As the four came downstairs they found Menelanna waiting for them. She walked up to greet them, "I was told you were upstairs and would soon return. How have things been?"

"We are alive, that is something," muttered Xan.

"Aside from doing pointless tasks for an idiot red wizard I thought we killed nearly a year ago, everything has been going smoothly. We are now to go to Mae'ver, he seems to have a task for us," Jaheira explained.

"Glad to hear. Anomen passed his test and he and Ajantis are waiting for us at the inn, by the way," Menelanna reported. "Well…lets go see what Mae'ver wants with us."

As they head down Xan glided up by the ranger's side and took her arm. He waited till the others were far enough ahead before quietly speaking to her, "Will you be alright? Last time…"

"I…I will be fine," she whispered nervously. "T-thank you for your concern."

Xan nodded, but still looked at her with tender concern. He let go of her arm as they move to catch up with the others but stayed closer to her than strictly necessary.

As they gathered together before Mae'ver he turned to address them. Menelanna's heart sunk when she saw that poor Lin was still suffering on the torture table. She wished there was something she could do for him. Mae'ver set down the dagger he had been using to cut into his prisoner's skin and began to speak, "Edwin has been telling me you are, at the very least, competent. Fairly good at the sneaksman's trade, but a little ham-fisted when you fight. Exactly what I'm looking for."

"What do want of us?" Menelanna asked, trying not to look at any of the torture devices afraid she would go into another shock.

"I've a special task for you; you do this for me and you'll be set within the guild for whatever you need. Don't think it will be easy though." Mae'ver moved uncomfortably close to Menelanna and drop his voice to a hoarse whisper, "There is a... _traitor_ amongst us! Yes, one who has abused the trust we have given him! He must be dealt with in a permanent fashion. Embarl is his name, and you are to kill him with prejudice. He's at the Seas' Bounty -- bring me back his dagger to show you have done the deed."

Menelanna nodded. "It will be done," she said but hoped that they would be able to negotiate with this 'traitor.'

------------------

It was easy to find the man they sought. He was found in his room packing his bag with a speed Menelanna had never seen before. When he noticed them enter his room his face turned white and he began to shake fearfully.

"You... you're here to kill me, aren't you?" he asked fearfully. "Please! Tell Mae'Var it was all a misunderstanding!"

"I have no intention of doing such," Menelanna said calmly. "It is true were sent to kill you but I do not wish to do the deed. Please, tell us what you know."

"I overheard Mae'var talking to some of the other guildmembers about killing Renal Bloodscalp! I cried out in shock and Mae'var heard me! I'm as good as dead, I know it! Please don't kill me, though... I've been faithful to the Shadow Thieves! I never wanted to get mixed up in this!"

"You heard this? You must come with us to tell Renal! We were sent here to find proof of Mae'ver's treachery and you could be this proof!" Menelanna exclaimed.

He looked horrified, "No! I cannot! If I say anything to Renal, Mae'Var will hunt me down! Worse, Renal may think I am the assassin! The only proof I have is what I overheard! I must flee the city! Please, let me go!"

Menelanna nodded, "Alright I understand. But first I need your dagger to make Mae'ver think you are dead."

A look of shock and relief crossed the thief's face. He fumbled around his belt and finally managed to bring out his dagger and handed it to Menelanna, "You…you would do this? I do not know who you are, friend, but I truly thank you. I shall flee the city immediately!"

"I wish you luck in your journeys," replied the elf and he hefted his pack onto his shoulders and quickly left as he bid them a farewell.

-----------------

Although Mae'ver seemed pleased to accept the 'traitors' dagger he barely took any notice of them. He quickly waved them off sending them back to Edwin. Menelanna's patience was wearing thin. It took some amount of restraint not to stick an arrow in him here and now. But she managed to quietly obey and lead the way to the red wizard.

"Well it seems you have returned to me. Now lets get to business. I know that you have a secret," Edwin spoke as he paced back a forth in front of them.

"We all have secrets. I am sure you have quite a few yourself red wizard," Menelanna replied.

"Ah…seems you are here now, elf. Where were you before? (No doubt performing some idiotic good deed.) No matter! I know why you are here, mashing your lips on Mae'Var's boots -- and it's nothing to do with stipends or wages or other guild business."

"I have no idea what you are talking about," the ranger replied innocently and gave a sweet smile. She wish Imoen was here at this point, the pink haired girl had much better charms than she ever had.

"Don't insult my intelligence! (As if they could comprehend it!) If you wish to maintain this lie then I will be forced to confront Mae'Var with my suspicions."

"Is that a threat wizard?" Kivan asked in his husky but melodic voice.

Menelanna raised a hand to stay her friends. She stared at the wizard for some time. The ranger had no idea what Edwin was try to get at, none the less she decided it was best to try and get the wizard on their side.

"Alright. I admit, we are here to spy on Mae'ver. What is it you wish?"

Edwin smile smugly, "Well it seems at least someone in this group has some intelligence (even if it does amount to the equality of slug)." Menelanna narrowed her eyes at hearing the insult, obviously the wizard did not understand how keen an elf's hearing was. "As it happens, I know where we can find damning evidence of Mae'Var's betrayal of Renal Bloodscalp. That is your purpose here, isn't it? (Yes, I thought so.)"

"'We'?" inquired the elf. "Who ever said I would allow you in my group?"

"I will be far more useful that any of the other fools you seem to enjoy surrounding yourself with! Beside, you think I wish to stay in this dungheap for any longer than I need to? Mae'Var has been courting the Night Masks in order to bolster his own strategic position and betray Renal. Masterfully planned, but I have seen through it."

"Fine! You may join with us…for now. But do not think I have forgiven or forgotten the fact that you once tried to kill us. Step out of line once and you will find my arrows in your back. Now, show us were we can get these damning documents."

Edwin snorted before returning to his desk. He quickly gathered up his spell book and a bag of components. Lastly he opened a drawer and took out a small key.

Once he was ready he briskly walked past them and down the stairs saying nothing more than, "Follow me simians."

------------------

Renal was delighted to receive the document proving Mae'ver's treachery. After a short while he finally said, "Only the last part of our deal remains to be carried out now -- go and eliminate Mae'Var then, with my full authority. Do that and this business shall be finished, finally."

Menelanna stiffened, she did not like the proposition of an assignation. But then she remembered the captive men Mae'ver held. The least she could do is kill the vile man so that they could be free. She nodded her head, "It will be done."

-------------------

The fight through the guild house had not been a pleasant one but they finally reached the lower leave where Mae'ver could be found. Two rapid shots from her bow brought down two thieves which had started to run towards them. Mea'ver watched as his men fell and glared at the elf.

"Come for me you have," he sneered. "It will not be so easy…I still have those loyal to me."

With that he drew his sword and advanced with three more men who appeared out of the shadows. While Menelanna and Yoshimo pelted them with arrows Ajantis, Anomen, Jaheira, and Kivan all engaged in melee. Behind her Menelanna could hear the familiar chanting of Xan added to Edwin's newer voice. Mae'ver let out a surprised scream as one of his own men suddenly turned and began to attack him. It only took a few more minutes before their enemies lay dead and Anomen and Jaheira began tending to everyone's wounds.

Menelanna walked past the group and her heart sank as she saw they were too late to save Lin. The ranger walked up and put a small cloth to cover the dead man's face and offered a small prayer for him. As she began to return to the group she heard a soft moan from one of the cages. She looked inside to find a man trapped there. At least she was able to save someone this day.


	25. Chapter 25

**Here we are at last! You finally get to find out which lucky man Mene chooses to be with! Will it be the handsome human knight or the gloomy elven enchanter? Read and find out! **

**A Heart's Confession**

Anomen brightened up immensely when Menelanna entered the tavern soon to be followed by their other friends. He desired to be alone with her so that he could confess his heart to her. He let out a sigh when it seemed he was going to have to wait for that. Many hours were still left in the day and the young ranger decided to use this time to study with Xan.

The new knight smiled as each member of the party offered their congrats but he found his eyes constantly moving to glance at Menelanna. He felt a pang of jealousy seeing how close the enchanter sat next to her as he explained a spell to her. But he let it pass; Xan was nothing more than a friend and teacher for her. He was very confident that it was he she desired in her heart. The next time he looked over at her he was pleased to see an extremely becoming smile on her face, she seemed be understanding her lesson.

Menelanna's joyful smile soon turned into a mischievous one that could have put Imoen to shame. Xan was oblivious to this change in her, until she decided to practice her new spell on him. The enchanter leapt several feet in the air as he was suddenly hit by the electricity that jumped from Menelanna's hand. The ranger could not contain her laughter at Xan's expense. She abruptly stopped laughing as he gave a reproachful look before slamming his spell book closed and storming off.

She leapt up, "Xan, wait!" She noticed Anomen looking at her, struggling to hide his own laughter at the little practical joke. She smile nervously before sighing and looking in the direction Xan left, "He seems really upset. I should apologize to him."

As she ran up the stairs Anomen felt his heart sink, he once again missed the chance of getting her alone.

-----------------

Xan sighed as he sat down in his room. He rubbed his arm; it was still tingling from the shock Menelanna had given him. Part of him was angered by her foolishness use of magic, but another part of him could not get the picture of her laughing out of him mind. He had not seen her is laugh like that since she had been separated from Imoen. He wished she would laugh more often, it truly did become her.

A nock on the door made him look up. "Come in," he called.

The door opened slowly and Menelanna popped her head in, a worried expression was on her face. "Xan…I am sorry. I did not mean to anger you," she said softly.

"Don't worry about it. Just do not use magic for such again. Magic is too dangerous and unpredictable to be used for a practical joke."

She came room fully and stood before him, "I understand. I promise I will be wiser in the future. I also want to thank you, for teaching me. I do hope you will continue to train me."

"You were a good student. But to be honest you do not need my guidance any more. You are more than capable of preparing spells yourself now. But if you ever need any help, I will be glad to assist you."

A gleaming smile broke out on her face, "Thanks! Well, I am off for now. I am quite soar from all of our battles, I hot bath sounds refreshing right now. See you later."

Xan watched as she ran out the door. How could she be what she was and still keep such a positive attitude? He suddenly wondered how many of her smiles were masks of her true feelings. He had once seen what plagued her dreams, and he knew worry for Imoen gnawed at her daily. The enchanted buried his head in his hands, he wished he could do something to aid her. A long sigh exited his lips, he wished he had the courage to tell her he loved her.

-----------------

Menelanna let out a content sigh as she lowered herself into the steaming water. She smiled as Boo decided to make a bed for himself in her discarded cloths. As she let the water ease the tension of her soar muscles many thoughts passed through her head. She was worried. Worried for her companions, worried about Imoen, and worried about the vampires they would face the next day.

But then she felt her worries slip away. She knew things would be okay. She had so many friends who looked after her. Jaheira, though an annoying nag, was a faithful friend, while Kivan had become like a brother to her. She then thought of Anomen and Xan. Her friendship with them seemed different somehow. She could not help but notice how protective they were of her and it touched her.

_They like you, you know. _

She looked over the tub's edge to see Boo twitching his whiskers while looking at her intently. She hoped the redness in her face was due to the heat of the water and not embarrassment, _They are my friends. Of course they like me._

_You know what I mean_, the hamster pressed. _They are extremely protective of you. Even you have noticed that. _

_Xan looks after me because I am young and elven. Anomen because he is a knight and he sees it as his duty to protect his leader._

_Are you really that dense? _Boo asked. _They have feelings for you beyond that of simple friendship or kinship. Even I can see that and I am a hamster. _

_I thought you were a giant miniature space hamster, _she replied with a smirk and she began to scrub the grim of her body.

_Funny, _he muttered._ You have feelings for him too. I see how close you sit to him and how you hold his arm at times. _

_May I ask which 'him' you are talking about? _inquired the elf.

_If you do not realize you have feelings for him then I am not going to tell you. _

Menelanna was about to send a retort back to him but felt his presence gone from her mind. She looked over at him to find that he had gone to sleep. The elf shook her head and began to work a lather through her hair. She tired to shut out the hamster's words but they nagged at her. Did Anomen and Xan really have strong feelings for her? She felt a blush come to her face, she secretly hoped at least one of them did. For she realized that she shared these feeling for him. She dunked her head under the water and rinsed her hair. The now clean elf soon left the bath a wrapped a towel around her body before proceeding to dress herself in fresh cloths.

-------------------

Anomen walked through the streets at a brisk pace. The knight could not stand sitting around idly so he decided to take a walk while waiting for Menelanna to be finished with her bathing. He stopped suddenly as he spotted a small garden. In the garden with crimson rhodilia, the flower he had presented Menelanna in his dream. He hesitated for a moment before plucking one of the flowers and carefully tucking it in his belt. The knight turned and hastened his pace to bring him back to the inn. It was time to make the second portion of his dream come true.

--------------------

Menelanna walked along the edge of the harbor. She halted and leaned on the low fence along the waters edge. As she gazed over the calm water her thoughts drifted to Imoen. Somewhere out there was an island and on that island was her sister. Imoen now seemed so close, yet so far away. A gust of wind made her shiver as it sent her long free hair swaying. She looked up in surprise as she felt a cloak placed on her shoulders. Xan gave her a small smile as he looked down on her. The ranger felt the color in her checks rise as she remember the words Boo had spoken to her earlier.

Xan eyes then turned to look out over the water as she had just been. "You will find her. For some reason I feel sure of it," he said calmly.

"I feel like she is so close, but so far away. I am worried about her. I often wonder what is happening to her and how she is faring. And sometimes I fell like I have failed her, that I allowed her to be captured," she admitted quietly.

Xan placed a hand on her arm, "Do not think that! You have failed no one. Melamin, I repeat, you have failed no one."

Menelanna's face turned red as she looked straight into his eyes. Had she heard him correctly? Did he just call her melamin…beloved? Xan seemed to realize the slip of his tongue as well, for he tried to turn and leave. The ranger quickly grabbed his arm to stop his departure, "Wh-what did you just call me?"

--------------------

Anomen turned around the corner of the Sea's Bounty and came slowly to a stop when he saw Menelanna staring out over the ocean. This was only the second time he had seen her hair free of its braids and he gasped at her beauty. He found she was so much more beautiful when she was dressed simply with her hair down as she was now. He took the flower he had out of his belt. Now was the time. He took a deep breath before starting to walk forward. As he looked up he let out a silent curse as he saw that Xan was now by her side talking to her quietly. The knight stepped back, he would just wait until the enchanter left, it would only be a few more minutes. He sighed as he waited and watched the elves converse.

---------------------

Xan struggled with words for several seconds before found his voice. "I-I called you mellonamin," he lied.

She slowly shook her head, "That is what Kivan calls me. You just called me melamin…beloved…"

Xan could not bring himself to look at her. She was too close, too beautiful… "Yes…yes, I just called you that," he admitted. "Because it is true…you are beloved to me. I have tried to hide these feelings, but my heart seems to have gotten the better of me." He again tried to leave, "I must…go…I-I cannot stay like this…"

The ranger quickly moved in front of him and forced him to look at her, "What do you mean? Are you leaving me?"

"I cannot stay, Menelanna. I cannot stay and watch you go into another man's arms."

Another man's arms? He though she was in love with Anomen? Xan was going to leave out of fear that she was going to fall for another man. She fully realized now that she did have feelings for a man. But these feelings were not directed towards Anomen, but to Xan.

Xan shook his head and whispered, "Farewell…Menelanna." He began to back away struggling to hold back tears.

Before he could get too far away Menelanna reached out and took hold of his hands, "'Another man's arms?' Don't you think you should ask my feelings before you assume I desire another man? No," she shook head as a small smile played across her lips, "I do not want another man…I want you."

Xan gaped at her. This could not be happening! It was too good, too impossible to be true. He fumbled for words, "I…Mene…"

His words ceased as Menelanna place two of her delicate fingers on his lips. "Xan…stop talking," was all she said before leaning up and replacing her fingers with her lips.

-------------------

For short moment it appeared that the enchanter was finally leaving and giving Anomen the moment he had been waiting all day for. He let out another sigh and Menelanna stopped him, intent on not letting him get away so easily. The knight patiently waited for her to finish saying what she wished. He smiled to himself; it would not be long now until he held her in his arms and kissed her lips. As he watched the ranger speak to Xan his heart seemed to skip a beat. The look she was giving him was far to tender for Anomen's liking. That was the look he wanted her to give him! The flower he still held in his hand slipped out and fell to the floor as she gently kissed the enchanter. He felt a stab in his heart. So she loved Xan. Anomen hung his head in defeat before turning and making his way strait to his room.

-------------------

It was only seconds but it seemed like forever when their lips parted again. Xan stared down at her in complete shock. A moment later his shocked expression was replaced by a look of tender fondness. He stroked her cheek with a single finger before cupping her chin and turning her face up to his.

"Menelanna…melamin…I…," he began. The enchanter then shook his head in defeat before he buried his hands in her hair and kissed her deeply.

Menelanna slowly wrapped her arms around Xan's lean form as his hand became lost in her red mane. It was sometime later before the elven couple broke their tender embrace and walked hand in hand back to the Sea's Bounty both much happier than they had been before.


	26. Chapter 26

**Yeah yeah…I stole a movie title for this chapter, sue me. I will not be able to update as much as I would like for quite a while since school started back up yesterday. Well hope you enjoy this chapter and please review. **

**What Lies Below**

Menelanna was restless. Today was it. Today was the day they were going to face the vampire guild. They were to go to the Graveyard District at noon, when the vampires would be their weakest, and attack. The ranger had never battle vampires before, and the thought did frighten her. As she led the way into the graveyard she could tell that she was not the only nervous one today. Ajantis went ridged, probably feeling the evil radiating from the vampire stronghold hidden somewhere below. Anomen nervously grasped his mace as he walked by the paladin's side. In fact the only one who did not seem to be nervous at all was Edwin. The red wizard radiated with confidence, and an almost excited gleam could be seen in his eyes.

They reached the crypt which Aran had told them enter by, Menelanna took a deep breath before pushing the door open. A flight of stairs led down into darkness which even her elven eyes had a hard time seeing in. Ajantis struck a torch and with Jaheira and Anomen next to him led the way down. Menelanna and Kivan entered next with bows at the ready as Yoshimo slinked into the shadows where he could be of best use. The two spell casters entered last.

As they slowly made their way through the dark corridors Yoshimo kept his eye out for any deadly traps. He halted when they came to a place where stone no longer was the only thing below their feet. There was a sticky whitish net that came down from the ceiling and cover the enter cavern they had entered. Menelanna let out a gasp as she realized it was webbing.

"Aran forgot to mention this," she muttered. "Let us hope we do not have deal with the makers of these webs."

No soon had these words left her mouth a soft scuttling noise could be heard. Menelanna looked up and cursed when she saw three spiders quickly descending upon them. Yoshimo and the two elven rangers went to work pelting the creatures with arrows. Xan could be heard chanting a spell as Edwin began his own muttering. The other three present readied their weapons for if any of the creatures made it to the ground. Menelanna was relived when two giant spider bodies fell to the ground and did not move again. The third one was quickly slain by the combined force of the druid and the men of the Order.

"Heh…looks like I spoke a little too soon…" Menelanna said nervously before she cried out in pain. She had not notice a fourth spider approaching her from the back until is sank its poisonous fangs into her leg. Her bow fell from her hand useless as her limbs became weak from the poison coursing through her veins. The spider began to wrap her in webbing as her legs gave out and she tumbled to the ground.

"Menelanna!" everyone cried out in horror. Ajantis ran forward and cleaved the spider's head off in on powerful stroke. Xan rush in and wrapped his arms around the limp elf. He could not find his breath as he look down and the pale face of the woman he cared so deeply about. He looked to Jaheira with an unspoken plea in his eyes. The druid hands shook and she placed them over the poisoned girl and began to chant. Xan let out a sigh of relief as the color suddenly came back to the ranger's face…she would be alright.

"Hold still," Xan said quietly as Menelanna started to struggle against the webbing that bound her legs. She glanced at the enchanter and silently obeyed. The ranger watched nervously as he began chanting and fire spread from his hands. Xan guided the fire over the webbing but was careful not to harm the ranger. As soon as her legs were freed he helped her to her feet. "Are you alright?" he asked.

She nodded, "I am fine. Let's just not repeat that experience okay." She glanced around suddenly noticing Edwin was missing, "Where did that idiot red wizard go?"

They found Edwin a little ways down the path intently studying another passage way. A smile broke out on his face, "This is it! Yes, it is as I thought." He could be heard muttering.

"What is so interesting wizard?" Anomen asked coldly.

"Down this way is an artifact of great power. (Something far beyond what these simians could comprehend). And I intend on getting it!"

"Sorry to break it you but we have more important things to do than your little treasure hunt! We have some vampires to kill, remember," an annoyed Menelanna said.

Edwin did not even seem to be listening as he strode down the passage intent on gain what ever this artifact he so desired. Menelanna was not the only who let out a curse at this point.

She sighed, "I am probably going to regret this…but we best go with the fool."

------------------

Edwin rummaged through the tomb of the now destroyed lich as Jaheira and Anomen patched up everyone's wounds. The wizard must have found what he was looking for as he let out a delighted scream. "This is it! This has to be it! The just and unjust alike will fear the overwhelming power of Edwin Odesseiron and his Nether Scroll!"

"You idiot! You risked all of our lives just so you could get some ancient tattered scroll. Do you even know what that thing does?" Menelanna yelled.

"Ha! You can not begin to comprehend the power of the Nether Scroll. Mark my words, (yes, mark them well) once I have uncovered the secrets of this scroll you will be beginning me for a taste of the power I will have!" the red wizard gloated.

"This fool will be the death of us all," Xan muttered.

Menelanna threw up her hands, "I don't care! Can we just get to the task we actually came down here for?"

"Fine, fine, led the way to what ever insignificant quest you have gotten us into this time," Edwin said in a plainly annoyed voice.

Menelanna turned on her heel and quickly lead back from where they had come.

------------------

As they approached the large door that blocked off the passage they could see a mage dress in dark colors standing there with a large golem next to him. He turned and nodded to them. "About time you got here. I am Haz."

"Sorry, we had some…distractions," the ranger said as she shot a dark look at Edwin.

"Anyways, let me get the door opened for you," he replied as he gave a single to his golem. The golem rushed forward and the door crumpled from the force of its impact. Menelanna and her companions followed closely behind the creature. A single vampire stood before them with a smug toothy grin on his face. Menelanna's eyes widened as she recognized the it as the creature who had slain Mook not that long ago. "Fools!" the undead creature called out. "The mistress knew you would come! Fight then and know you die for nothing!" He leapt back as Menelanna released and arrow at him and disappeared a moment later. Unearthly shrieks could be heard ahead of them as their golem friend was running amuck in the room ahead of them.

Menelanna ran forward and was greeted with the stench of blood so strong the felt her stomach turn. She shook her head and steadied herself and she began launching arrows at the vampires arrayed in the room. A scream to the side caught Menelanna's attention. She looked just in time to see Haz's limp body fall to the floor. Anomen and Ajantis ran past her weapons brandished and began to tear through the undead foes. The paladin held his holy symbol high and a flash of light surrounded him. The sudden holy presence caused the undead abominations to either crumble to ashes of become frozen. It was mere moments later when the room was cleansed of the creatures.

Yoshimo discovered a passage leading downwards and the companions were quick to follow it. The thief led the way and disarmed many traps along the way. When they at last came to a door, they prepared themselves for whatever would lie behind it. Ajantis tightened his grip on Carsomyr; the holy sword was working wonders against the undead abominations. Anomen cautiously opened the door and they were immediately greeted by an ambush that had been laying in wait. The knights were about the run in when Menelanna saw a fiery ball shot from Edwin's hands. The ranger barely had time to yell out a warning to her friends when the fire ball erupted in the room ahead, incarnating the creatures within. The red wizard just had a smug look and both Anomen and Ajantis gave him a dark glare.

"Watch where you through your spells wizard!" Anomen growled.

"No time for arguing you two!" Menelanna yelled as she ran forward bow at the ready.

Anomen nodded and followed after her obediently. A door on the other side of the room slowly opened and the vampire they had been chasing walked out. He gave them a small toothy grin. "One ambush you have survived but this battle is far from over! Find me upstairs in the room of blood and blades!" With that he once again disappeared through a dimension door.

"Damn! This is _really _starting to get on my nerves!" the ranger swore before turning and quickly run back upstairs. Once there she started searching for the vampire scum not even waiting for her friends to catch up. This battle was starting to really tick her off. This was doing nothing but keeping her from reaching Imoen! She halted when a hand grabbed her arm. Kivan calmly gazed at her with his unreadable face.

"I know you want to finish this battle quickly so you can get to Imoen. But you mustn't do anything rash. Please calm yourself and let us stay together," he said in a soft voice.

"I am not…" she began to yell. She stopped and nodded her head. She looked up at him, he anger subdued and her voice calm once again, "You are right mellonamin. Let us proceed with caution."

The stoic ranger nodded and gave his young friend one of his rare smiles. Someone calling Menelanna's name alerted both of them. They ran down the passage from whence it came and for their companions gathered before a large room. In the middle was a large pool filled with blood. The sight and smell of it made the young ranger's feel sick. It seemed to have the same effect on Xan for he was much paler than normal at this point.

As Menelanna was about to enter the room, Yoshimo quickly halted by grabbing her shoulder. He pointed to the floor where small slits could be seen in the ground. The thief took a coin out of his pocket and tossed it by on of the holes. She cried out in surprise as a blade suddenly shot up from the floor. A moment later it slowly began descend back down.

They look up to see the vampire standing across the room laughing. It seemed as if he were taunting them to try and reach him. Menelanna narrowed her eyes and slowly notched an arrow and took careful aim.

The vampire smirked at her, "I am not as weak as the others you have fought here today. Normal weapons such as your arrows cannot harm me."

"I am no normal archer," she replied. After a quick spell she released her arrow. A blue streak followed after the projectile and thudded into the vampire's chest. The creature let out a howl as electricity shot through his undead body. The shock sent him stumbling back into some of his own traps. Several blades shot of from the floor and quickly tore his body a apart. The creature turned into mist and floated past them.

"He is returning to his coffin!" Xan called out.

It was impossible to try and followed the vampire's mist form. Menelanna let out a curse as they could not find where the vampires kept their sleeping area. The ranger was once again thankful to have Yoshimo traveling with them as he found a crack in the wall that turned out to be a hidden door. Once opened the party cautiously moved down the new corridor. Menelanna gave a small thanks the Seldarine as this passage turned out to lead to several coffins, many of which had a sleeping vampire lying within.

The party went about staking the vile creatures. As the last one was put to its final rest and chill filled the air. They turned to see a dark shape crouched on top of one of the coffins. As the figure raised its head Menelanna recognize it…Bohdi.

Bohdi's red eyes rested on the ranger, "I had hoped it would not come to this, but you are set in your path, aren't you?"

Menelanna notched an arrow and aimed at the vampire, "That I am. But what do you know of my path I might ask."

The vampire seemed completely unmoved by the arrow aimed for her heart as her spoke on. "So Sure of yourself, I see," she purred "... I know more about you than you can possibly imagine! I know about your childhood, your friends, your employers... what they intend."

"What are you talking about vampire," Xan asked as he took out components from his belt for his next spell.

"Do you truly know these people cloaked in shadow?" she asked simply.

Menelanna scoffed, "Of course I do not trust them. But they seem to be honest enough in their dealings with us thus far."

"Do they really?" sneered Bodhi. "Are you certain? What if their interest in you was more than simply mercenary? What if they knew full well who you are... and what you are?"

Menelanna narrowed her eyes but show no other reaction. She did not know how the vampire found out what she was, but she was not going to let this affect her.

Bohdi smiled, "Ah, yes. I know what you are, child of Bhaal; Irenicus told me. He might have learned more, awakened your power, but the thieves interrupted him."

Menelanna face was now full of rage. This creature was an ally of the one who tortured her and her friends. An ally of the one who killed Khalid and Dynaheir. And an ally of the one who still had Imoen. "You have willingly acknowledged that Irenicus has shared information with you, proving your association with him," The ranger growled. "That makes you our enemy, just as much as he is... and just as he will, it is your fate to fall by our hands!"

"It seems you are determined to make a nuisance of yourself, regardless of what I say," she said softly. "You are too volatile for my purposes... you will discover the extent in which you are being used; but for now, this will end. Let us both learn a thing or two..."

Without warning Bohdi leapt at Menelanna with amazing speed and agility. The vampire was upon the ranger before she could even release her arrow. Bohdi pinned her and was about to sink her fangs into the ranger's exposed next. Thankfully a spell launched from the enchanter sent the vampire flying. Bohdi quickly righted herself preparing for another attack. Menelanna gave Xan a quick smile of thanks before beginning to pelt the vampire with arrows. Bohdi's agility made it near impossible for either Anomen or Ajantis to even hit her and her unnatural body made her impervious to the arrows striking her.

Menelanna realize she would have to use her spells again to defeat this one. She notched her arrow and closed her eyes to prepare her spell. Xan glanced over at her and let out a gasp at what he saw when she opened her eyes again. Her emerald green eyes shone with and unnatural light. Menelanna felt the usual magic course through as she applied it to her arrow…but this time something was different. The magic that was being put into her weapon was not from any of her spells but from within her. The arrow began to glow in a shade of deep red as more power was fed into it. When the arrow was released from its shaft the room was filled with an eerie red light.

Bohdi wailed as the arrow tore into her arm. She leapt back clutching her wound, "Well that was certainly…educational. I am seen enough and am done with you…for now."

"You won't get away vampire!" Jaheira yelled out. She swung her weapon but hit nothing but air as Bohdi transformed into a bat and disappeared into the darkness.

Menelanna noticed none of this as she fell to her knees suddenly exhausted. Xan ran to her side as her bow clattered to the floor. He wrapped his arms around her as she closed her eyes and passed out.


	27. Chapter 27

**Okay here is the next chapter. School and work have been taking up a lot of time. But due to some prodding from a certain person -cough-Arabellaesque-cough- I have now updated. Please read and review. **

**And Arabellaesque I promise to finish reading your new updates and give you reviews as soon as I find more time!**

**Regrets **

Menelanna groan and slowly opened her eyes. Her head pounded and felt like it had been used as a smith's anvil. She suddenly remembered the battle with Bohdi and began to quickly get to her feet. She had to get up and help her friends finish the battle! A gentle hand pushed her back down.

"Don't get up. You still need rest," Xan said as he sat next to her. The ranger's green eyes glanced around the room and she became aware that she was no longer in the crypt. She was lying in a soft bed and covered with a warm blanket.

"Where are we? What happened?" she asked in a hoarse voice.

"We are in a room at the Copper Cornet. As for what happened…you fainted. You used too much magical energy on that arrow you shot at Bohdi. It was foolish, but I guess it did save our lives," he explained.

"I see. But that worried expression on your face tells me there is more to this. Please tell me."

Xan sighed. "You were enraged in the battle. This rage made you loose control of your magic. And I fear that…that…" he halted struggling to speak on.

"You fear that my taint took over at that time," she finished for him. He sighed heavily and gave a slow nod. "Me too," she admitted. "I do not know what came over me. I just know I do not want that to happen again."

"The only advice I can give you is to try and control your emotions. Mixing emotion and magic never has good effects. I can only imagine it can be worse for because of what you are." He hung his head. "I wish there was something I could do to help you, melamin."

She took his hand in hers. "Your presence is enough."

He stroked her cheek with his free hand. "But it is not enough. We are doomed. But I swear, I will do everything in my power to protect you. Even if it means I die mere moments before you."

"Xan…does it ever occur to you that we might just survive all this?" she asked with a sigh.

"I dare not hope such," he said softly. "But I will hold you close for as long as I can." With that he leaned down and kissed her softly on the lips.

He parted from her when the door opened and Jaheira entered. She gave them both a smile as a greeting.

"How are you feeling?" she asked then elven girl.

"Fine. Just tired of ending up in situations like this."

Jaheira laughed, "Well don't do things that cause you to faint then."

"Thanks for the advice," she said dryly. "How is everyone else?"

"They are fine. We are ready to report to Aran when you are rested enough," the druid replied. "And you _will _rest more before we go."

"Yeeees mother."

"Rest well child," she replied before leaving.

"When will she stop calling me that? I am not a child!" she muttered.

Xan stared at the door for a few more moments before returning his gentle gaze back to the elven girl laying beside him. "She is right you know. You still need rest."

"I am not…" she yawned loudly, "…tired."

The enchanter smirked, "Of course you aren't." He gave her a soft kiss on he forehead as she drifted off to sleep.

----------------------

Aran Linvail looked up and smiled as the party entered his study. He listened intently as they gave him a full report on what had occurred in the crypt, except for Menelanna's fainting episode.

"She did have a few interesting things to say before the coward ran off. Things about you and your Shadow thieves," Menelanna said in the end.

A few of the guards in the room tensed at her words. Aran waved his hand to call them off before addressing the ranger. "I trust you are aware of the deceptive nature of her kind," he remarked casually. "She would be willing to say almost anything to lessen the bonds you've developed with allies."

Menelanna glared at him, "The same could be said about you. I know there is something you are keeping secret from us. I want to know what it is and now."

A young black hair thief stepped forward glaring threateningly at the elf. "How dare you address the Shadow Master in such a tone!" she yelled.

Aran put up a hand, "Calm, Sime. An explanation is warranted. "I shall start from the beginning." He took a deep breath. "We knew of your arrival here in the city as soon as it happened; and I do not mean when you escaped the wizard's lair. We were aware of the strange dungeon before then, knowing only that a man named Irenicus was using it. Our sources informed us of his prisoners, but we thought a simple kidnapping was nothing to be concerned over, even though it was done outside the Shadow Thieves. However, it was soon after that we began losing members; then Bodhi appeared, but we did not know her identity at that time. Members were threatened or seduced into her guild, and most were never seen again."

"And you just wait till it suited your needs to break into Irenicus' dungeon. Typical of thieves I guess," Anomen scoffed.

"Menelanna and her half-elf friend her saw our attempts of attacking the dungeon," he replied calmly.

The druid nodded, "It was slaughter."

"And I am guessing you kept this information from us because you believed us untrustworthy?" the elf inquired.

He nodded. "We could not let an enemy into the guild when we were so weakened. And in truth, your gold was much needed as well. We thought you could lead us to him, and you can; you seek Imoen and Irenicus, and we seek answers."

"I care not for what you seek. All I want is to get my sister back safe and sound," Menelanna replied tersely.

The Shadow Master sighed. From his sources he had heard about the elf's short temper and did not want to experience it first hand even with his best fighters at his side. He decided the best way to deal with her at the moment was to remain calm and not provoke her. "And you will indeed find your Imoen soon. Spellhold can be found on a small island. Passage there has been secured and the ship will be ready to depart tomorrow."

Menelanna's eyes widened and a expression of hope crossed her face. She was close so close to finding Imoen. She could not form words at this moment and merely nodded her thanks to Aran.

"One final thing. I would like Sime here to accompany you. She knows much about the pirate island Spellhold is found on and will be of much help to you."

Ajantis tensed, he did not seem to like the idea of another thief in their ranks. Menelanna exchanged a look with her friends before giving a nod to Sime. "Alright, Aran we will take your girl with us. Welcome Sime."

"Good sailing to you and good luck," he bid them as they left.

Sime followed then but kept distance. It was obvious she trusted them about as much as they trusted her. Xan glided up to Menelanna's side and spoke to her quietly in elvish. "Are you sure this is a good idea? What if she betrays us."

"I doubt she will. I assume she is just with us to keep so that Aran has someone to report to him. But don't worry I will keep an eye on her," she replied in the same language. "You worry too much. But I guess that is one of the things I love about you." She said with a smile before taking the enchanter's hand and planting a kiss on his cheek. Xan blushed brightly as a few giggles from the group could be heard.

--------------------

She knew she should be asleep but she could not rest. Menelanna had far too much energy right now. Imoen…she was so close. The elf looked out over the water. Somewhere out there Imoen was being held.

"Enjoying the night air?" came an accented voice.

The elf turned her head to see Yoshimo approaching her. "Thoughts of Imoen keep me awake this eve," she admitted.

"It must feel good knowing you are coming close to seeing your sister," he said. Menelanna though she sensed a tinge of sorrow in his voice. She gave him and odd look but the Kara-turr just gave her one of his charismatic smiles. The elf shook her head; she must have been imagining it.

"It does. She has been with for as long as I can remember. She is very important to me. I just regret getting her mixed up in my troubles. She deserves better."

"You should have a life of no regrets. That is how I live," he said with a playful wink.

Menelanna gave him a small smile. "Live a life of no regrets? I wish I could but I have so many. Beginning with Gorion's death, Sarevok, and Tamoko. And now more just seem to pile on top of them."

Yoshimo's head snapped towards her. He quickly covered the look of shock on his face. He was relieved that the elf seemed to not to notice his sudden discomfort. He coughed before asking, "I have heard of Gorion and Sarevok. But who is this Tamoko? And why do you think of her with regret?"

"You want to hear the story? Alright I will tell." She sighed and the bounty hunter thought he saw tears on the edges of her eyes. "She was a Kara-tuur like you…and Sarevok's lover. Power had driven my half-brother mad and twisted him from the man he once was. Tamoko realized that he was no longer the man she had fallen in love with, so she came to me and my companions for help. She would give us what we needed if we promised to try and save the man she loved. I agreed." Menelanna paused for a moment struggling to speak of the painful memory. "It soon became apparent that there could be no redemption for Sarevok. Also he had found out about Tamoko's treachery. The only way she could regain his favor was to kill me. So she challenged me." Yoshimo could now see that tears ran freely down the elf's face. "I tried to convince her that this was not the answer. But she would have none of it and I was forced to fight her. The two of us fought our duel and in the end I ended up slaying her. She was an excellent fighter and a good woman. I wish it did not have to end this way, I wish she could have lived. I would have like to get to know her better under better circumstances. This is what I regret."

It took several moments before Yoshimo could form any words. Finally he found his tongue and spoke in a hoarse voice. "Do not regret this. I know she would not want you to. Instead honor her by keeping her in your memory."

Menelanna glanced over at him and whipped away her tears. It was unlike him to be like this and it puzzled her. But his words rang true. She nodded, "I will. Thank you for listening. I feel better now."

"Excuse me if you would," he said quietly before leaving her alone again. He needed time alone to think about what she had just told him. He covered his eyes with his hand to ward of the tears the threatened to pour from his eyes. _"So…that is the truth about what happened to my sister? Now I am the one who has regrets" . _


	28. Chapter 28

**Setting Sail**

The next day they set sail upon the _Wailing Maiden _under the command of Captain Saemon Havarian. Menelanna found that she enjoyed sailing upon the open seas. Although she would have enjoyed it more if it were not for their all too friendly captain. The man seemed to have an annoying habit of calling all women he came across 'love'. After an hour of hearing his talk the ranger was tempted to through the human over board. Now night was falling and the water glowed with the reflection of the full moon.

Even at this time, Saemon seemed to have the odd thought in his head that Menelanna desired his company for he would not leave her alone. "So how do you find my little ship upon the seas, love?"

The elf clutched her fist in annoyance. "The sea and the ship are fine. I wish I could say the same about it's captain. And stop calling me 'love'!" she snapped.

Saemon gave her a innocent smile, if a pirate could have any innocence about them. "Aww…come on love. Ye don't me that do ya? There ain't nothin' better that sailin' with a man as capable as I!"

"Oh, yes there is. Now if you would excuse me my good captain, I think I shall retire for the eve."

"Rest well, love," he bid her.

The elf stalked off towards the cabin that she and her companions would be sharing for this journey. No one looked up as she opened and closed the door. Anomen was curled up in a small ball within his hammock looking rather green. The rocking boat seemed to not agree with the knight. Jaheira was busy preparing some herbs to help with the man's ailment. Edwin was muttering over his precious Nether Scroll while Ajantis' soft chanting could be heard as he offered his prayers to Helm. Kivan and Xan were engaged in some small talk about their voyage. Sime, the woman Aran sent with them, was sulking in the shadows keeping her distance from the group. The only person no present was Yoshimo. Menelanna guessed he was busy gambling, and cheating the sailor of their coin.

She sighed and made her way to the other end of the room. She gave Xan a gentle kiss and bid her friends a good night before retiring to her own hammock. The elf laid awake for several minutes just thinking. Every passing moment took her close and closer to where Imoen was held. The though excited her. According to their captain the voyage would take a little over a week. Unfortunately because of the captain Menelanna felt that it was going to be a long tiring trip. Eventually the gentle rocking of the boat lulled her into a peaceful sleep.

--------------------

Menelanna leaded on the boats railing at the front of the boat, her only company the carved figure head in the shape of a raven hair woman with her mouth open wide as if she were wailing.

The ranger's green eyes were draw towards the distance horizon. It would only be a few more days before they arrived at Brynnlawwhere Spellhold could be found. And within it, Imoen. A pair of hands came to rest upon her shoulders and caused her to break from her day dreaming.

"Thinking of Imoen I take it," came the enchanter's low voice.

Menelanna sighed and leaned back against his thin frame. She rested her head on his shoulder and let him cross his arms over her stomach. Having the enchanter near always help put her at ease, despite his constant doom saying. "Of course. I worry about her a lot. I am also excited that we are come closer and closer to finding her."

"I am sorry to darken your thoughts….but you must prepare yourself whatever you might find."

"I know…I know," she whispered. "But I must still try to find her. Even if I just find her dead…I still must try." As she finished speaking tears slowly rolled down her face.

Xan gently whipped away her tears. "Shhh….don't cry, melamin. Remain strong. For some reason I feel oddly confident that we will find her alive."

A small smile crossed her face and she nodded. A content sigh left her lips as she relaxed in his arms. The couple stood there for a long while gazing out over the open ocean.

------------------

Anomen had finally over come his seasickness and decided to go above deck. The warm sunlight and clean air revived him after being in the dark cabin for so long. But a sight he saw on deck made his heart sick.

Menelanna was wrapped up in the enchanter's slim arms. He had never seen Xan looking more content and happy than he was now with the ranger in his arms. Menelanna, likewise, looked completely at peace being held by the enchanter. The young knight wished that it was him who held the fair Lady Menelanna. A forlorn sigh exited him lips that could have competed with one of Xan's.

"Something bothering you Sir Anomen?"

"No, nothing, Sir Ajantis," responded as Ajantis approached.

The paladin chuckled, "You are a terrible liar." He then looked up and saw the elven couple. "Ah…so that is what is bothering you. You know I understand how you feel in a way."

The knight looked over at him. "How so?" he inquired.

"I use to feel the same about Menelanna when I first met her," he said.

Anomen's eyes widened in shock and stared at the paladin. Ajantis just smiled and nodded. "I first met her near the Friendly Arms Inn. I found her to be a kind, strong and noble woman. Soon I did fall in love with her."

"Did you tell her?" Anomen asked.

Ajantis shook his head, "No, I did not. I quickly saw how Xan felt about her; it just took him nearly a year to confess. Also I could also see that she did not share my feelings. I decided to let her follow her own path and not pursue her any longer."

"Do you still love her?"

"I love her only as a friend now. And I am happy that she has found someone she loves so dearly."

Anomen looked over at Menelanna again. So Ajantis had been in his position before. He had given up his feeling so that she could chose her own path. The knight understood that he should do likewise. He should not be jealous of the enchanter, instead he should be happy for his friend Menelanna. Anomen stood up and nodded to the paladin. "Thank you for sharing this with me," he said quietly. "I think I will feel better now."

Ajantis smile and left the knight by himself again.

------------------

Dusk had fallen sever hours earlier as they sailed into port. So this was Brynnlaw…it looked like a shabby run down town. From what Sime had told her, Menelanna knew that it crawled with pirates. She wondered why a magical asylum would be found in a pirate town.

The elf joined her companions on deck as the sailors lowered the anchor and prepared to go on shore. Anomen, who had become seasick again, could not wait to get solid ground below his feet again. Sime watched Saemon as he went to and fro giving orders to his crew. It seemed the young thief was scrutinizing his every move. The captain soon turned and gave the group a warm smile.

"We have arrived and in good time I might add," he exclaimed loudly.

"I thank you for help," Menelanna replied.

The captain nodded and walked down the gang plank and stood on the shore. Menelanna nodded to her companions and lead the way off the ship. Anomen seemed exceedingly happy to be off the ship but he still looked quite pale. He would need some rest to fully recover from his illness.

The ranger began to lead the way into town preparing to find an inn where they could spend the night. A small hand suddenly stopped her. She looked over to meet Sime's eyes.

"What is it?" she asked

The thief pointed to Saemon. The captain was standing at the edge of the dock looking rather nervous about something. "He seems nervous. We should be careful."

Menelanna nodded, "Come to think of it…it is quite odd that we came into port at night. Be ready for whatever he might have planned."

As they reached the edge of the dock Saemon stood in front of them preventing them from moving on. "I fear I cannot allow you to leave my presence just yet. While I admit to a certain fondness for you all, I have little choice in what I must do."

"I do not like your tone," growled Ajantis, "What do you mean?"

He took a nervous step back. "My apologies, as I said..." He paused hesitantly. "This was not my intention at all, but one must do what good business dictates. You will recognize those that you face now -- I do hope that they make short work of this encounter. I have no stomach for violence, really."

"So the snake shows his colors now," Menelanna said darkly and she drew her bow.

Behind her she heard her companions drawing their own weapons. Jaheira was telling Anomen to remain out of the battle due to his current sickness. Ajantis stepped forward and stood in front of his leader while the rest of the companions took up their battle positions.

Saemon muttered an apology as he took several steps back before disappearing into a magical portal. As soon as he could no long be seen three vampires lunged towards them. Menelanna let out a call and leapt into battle.


	29. Chapter 29

**Okay…here is the next chapter. Sorta of an in-between chapter. **

**warning Mushiness ahead.**

**Brynnlaw**

"Damn that snake of a man!" Menelanna cursed as the last vampire vanished into mist. She turned towards her companions. "Everyone alright?"

They each nodded in turn and the ranger let out a relived sigh. Sime glided up to the ranger and began speaking with her in a hushed voice. "Now that we know about his treachery we must be all the more careful."

The ranger glared at the woman. "Some guide your master set up for us," she muttered dryly.

The thief matched the glare. "It is not our fault the man turned treacherous," she snapped back. "It was hard enough getting _anyone _to be willing to give us passage to this place."

"Whatever," the elf sighed. "Now, do you know how we can get into Spellhold? The Shadow Master did say you knew some stuff about this island."

"I do not know how to get into the asylum, but I know a man whom we can speak to that can help us. We should be able to find him at the local tavern. His name is Sanik."

"Well I would suggest we get to the tavern and try to get some rest before we try and seek a way to enter this place. We do not know what we will encounter there and need our strength," Ajantis spoke up.

The discussion was made and the group made their way towards the Vulgar Monkey Tavern. More than one person found the name repulsive and found the inside even more so. The common room was filled to the brim with drunken sailors and it reeked of rum and other less than pleasant odors. As they approached the bar tender he gave them an unfriendly glare.

"Aye? What ye want and make it quick," he grunted.

"Keep your tone civil scum. We are here to spend coin for some rooms for the night," Jaheira snapped.

"Show me yer money and then I shall get ye yer rooms lassie."

Menelanna tried to hide her snicker as the druid turned as red as beet. It took Kivan's calm hand to keep the enraged woman from attacking the man. "Here is our gold," he said in his gruff voice.

"Fine. We don't have enough rooms fer all of ya, so ye will have to share."

"That is fine by us, thank you," Menelanna said quickly and guided everyone away from the dislikable man.

They took a vacant table and ordered what passed a meal in the establishment. It soon became painfully aware to the women of the group that there were no other female in the room save for the serving wenches. Several men were rudely hooting and whistling at them. One even made a grab for Menelanna's rear as she passed by. Upon seeing this Xan sat a close as he could get to her and held her hand tighter than necessary. But the ranger smiled, comforted by her love's protectiveness.

As the night sky darkened one by one the party retired to their rooms. Soon everyone was gone save for the elven companions. Kivan smiled as he looked upon his two friends who were obviously deeply in love. He gave a small sigh as he knew he was about to darken their mood, but there had been something he had been meaning to speak to the younger ranger about for quite some time.

"Menelanna, there is something I have been pondering," he began softly in elvish. "I am sorry to talk to you about this, but I feel I must speak my thoughts."

Xan shifted nervously and began to rise from his seat. "If you want…"

"You can stay mellonamin, that is if Menelanna does not mind."

"I do not. Please stay, Xan," she said softly keeping the conversation in elven.

The enchanter nodded and sat back down. The two turned their gaze back to Kivan bidding him to continue on. "You told me before what you remembered of your captor, Irenicus," he began. Menelanna tensed and nodded slowly. "Bright blue eyes…you said he had bright blue eyes…" he paused for a while.

Xan took a sharp intake of breath, "But only…no, it can't be!"

"Only our kin have eyes of such a color," Kivan finished.

"H..how can this be?" she asked agast. She reached forward and took a hold of Kivan's hand. With her other one she took Xan's. As she held onto her kinsmen she felt the bond between them that all elven kind shares. "He touched me…but I felt no connection with him as I do with you two. He cannot be elf…he just can not…"

Kivan tightened his grip on his friends hand, "I certainly hope you are correct in this mellonamin. I apologize for bring such a worrisome topic up. I bid you a good night." With that the stoic ranger stood up and went to the room he would be sharing with Edwin and Yoshimo.

A worried expression was clearly displayed on the young ranger's face. She stood and slowly began to walk towards the door leading outside. Xan immediately was after her begging her to remain indoors with them. She shook her head saying she just needed some fresh to help clear her mind. The enchanter's hand slipped from her arm as she walked out into the night air.

--------------------

_"Only our kin have eyes of such a color" _Kivan's words repeated in her mind. Could it truly be possible that that monster Irenicus was really an elf? But it made no sense. How could any elf do something like this to their own kind? And if he were an elf why did she not feel any connection with him like she did with other elves? She buried her head in her hands and let out a long sigh.

"Sighing does not suit you, melamin. Only a smile should ever be on your face."

"Xan…"she whispered his name.

"I am sorry to have followed you…I just worry for you. Remember what happened the last time you went outside alone at night? And this place is more dangerous than the Athkatla slums I would guess."

"I remember clearly. And I do not mind you following me. I should not be so rash, going off on my own like this all the time."

"I will not argue with that," he said and gave her one of his small rare smiles. Even as worried and troubled as she was could not keep her own smile from her face. "Ah…there is the smile I love to see," the enchanter said softly.

The two stood together in silence for a long while. Xan's fingers idly played with the ranger's long flowing hair. The enchanter looked down at her and let out a content sigh. A puzzled expression then crossed his face. "We once had this once. What happened?" he asked.

"Well…we did find out about my heritage…"she replied softly.

"Ah…it always comes down to that does it not." Many more things came to his mind about her father, but he decided to remain silent. It was better not to ruin the moment of peace they were sharing now. The enchanter suddenly remembered something and smiled down at the woman next to him.

"What?" Menelanna asked innocently.

"I just remembered…I have something for you." With this the ranger widened her eyes in surprise as she looked up at him. Xan reached into a small pocket inside his robes and brought out an elegant but simple golden necklace. It had a small pendant in the shape of a flower that Menelanna believed to be a jasmine. Xan's fingers gently brushed her skin as he fastened the chain around her neck. As the cold metal touched her skin Menelanna could feel that is was enchanted with more than one protection spell. "It belonged to my mother before she died. I carried it with me as a reminder of her and now I would like you to wear it. I also have placed a few spells on it so it is more than a mere bauble."

"I…I thank you," she whispered. She was deeply touched by the gift. The ranger placed a gentle kiss upon his lips before stepping back and smiling at him. "It is getting late. We best be going to sleep."

Xan nodded and happily followed her back inside the over crowed tavern.

------------------

The party gathered together early the next morning. Edwin was even more volatile than normal due to the early hour. When he began to rant a little too loudly Menelanna placed a simple silence spell upon the red wizard. The man's face became as red as his robes once he realized what happened but was forced to wait out the duration of the spell.

After a crude breakfast of left over stew and stale bread was eaten, Sime guided everyone to where he contact could be found. A green robed wizard sat looking quite nervous in the corner of the common room and jumped when as the thief addressed him. His face relaxed once he realized the group was of no threat to him.

"So you are the contact that can aid us?" Menelanna asked.

"I would like to," he began. "But there are things I must atten…"

A shimmer of magic suddenly appeared behind the man and a Halfling stepped out. The short man revealed an evil grin and drew his bow, "Let this be a warning to all who dare cross, Lady Galvena."

To the Halfing's surprise, before he could release his arrow he found Menelanna's own protruding from his neck. He fell over with a thud and lay dead on the floor. "So much for this "Lady Galvena's" assassin," the elf muttered. She turned to the gasping Sanik. "What was that about?"

Sanik took a deep breath and steadied himself, "I knew this was going to happen eventually. Thank you good woman, I owe you my life. As for what happened. I meet a girl in Lady Galvena's Festhall."

"A whore house you mean," Ajantis uttered in a disapproving voice.

"Yes…well uh…Claire and I fell in love. I wish to marry the girl and take her away from this life, but Galvena was none to pleased about it. I assume she meant to kill me as warning. I fear what she is planning to do to my Claire!"

"Calm down," Menelanna said in a soft voice. "I will see what I can do to save Claire. In return I would ask that you aid us in what we need."

A look of unbelieving hope crossed the man's face. "If you can free her from her fate, I promise I will do everything in my power to help you."

The ranger smiled, "It is settled then. Now tell us how we can find Claire."


	30. Chapter 30

Here is another chapter! YAY! Getting close to finally being in Spellhold. I originally thought I would be by the next chapter…but as things are going in the story I will be lucky to get there within three chapters. Well…I guess that is just how writing goes. Enjoy and please review.

**The Time at the Feasthall**

"How many times do we have to go over this? You are not going alone! Not now, not ever!" Jaheira barked.

"How else are we to save the girl? If anyone is with me they will find it more than a little suspicious," the ranger replied.

"My Lady, it is too dangerous for you to go alone. At least let someone go with you," Anomen begged.

Menelanna sat back and sighed. They had been arguing about this for over an hour. She had opted that she would get into the brothel alone and try to scout out the place. Unfortunately no one was willing to let her go unaided. What did they think she was, a child?

"How about this? I will cast an invisibility spell on myself so I can follow you undetected," Xan offered. It was obvious the enchanter was the most nervous about letting Menelanna out of his sight.

The ranger gave up; there was no point in continuing this useless argument. "Alright. Is that fine with the rest of you?"

Everyone nodded there agreement. The only person who seemed completely oblivious was Edwin who was too busy studying his Nether scroll to pay attention to their plans.

Yoshimo and Sime were currently absent from the conversation. Sanik had mentioned a man name Chemy who was someone with influence within the Feasthall. He supposedly had a medallion that would allow someone to walk around unhindered. It was the thieves' job to obtain the medallion, hopefully without causing bloodshed. The ranger began to wonder how they were fairing. As if on cue the duo walked into the tavern and sat down with the others at the table.

"That steal was far too easy," Sime said in her fluid voice as she passed the object to Menelanna. "And the man still lives if you are wondering. He will wake up with a massive headache but he will live."

The ranger smiled, "Thank you. Well night is starting to fall. I guess I should get going. You can cast you spell outside Xan." The enchanter nodded and rose to follow her outside.

"Do you really think they will be alright alone?" Ajantis asked.

"I believe they will. They are tougher than they appear," the druid replied calmly.

"I sure hope you are right. I guess we can do nothing now but wait for their safe return," the paladin said quietly.

-----------------

"Are you sure about this?" asked the worried enchanter.

"So long as we don't get caught we should be just fine," Menelanna said with and smile and wink. "Now cast your spell while no one is around."

Xan sighed and began to mutter the necessary incantation. When he blinked out of sight Menelanna suddenly felt a little uncomfortable. She much preferred being able to _see _the enchanter to make sure he really was there. Seeming to sense the woman's discomfort Xan reached out his invisible hand and took her wrist. In his current state he was able to hide his wry smile before he leaned forward and placed a surprise kiss on her lips. Her eyes shot open in surprise before quickly relaxing.

A small laugh exited her lips, "Enough joking around. Lets go!"

As they approached the feasthall the elves could see a few courtesans standing around then entrance of the building. Although most were female, a few quite handsome men could be seen as well. One of them perked up as he saw the beautiful elven ranger approaching.

"Evening fair lady. Might you be interested in a night of pleasure?" he greeted with a charming smile and regal bow. Menelanna heard the invisible enchanter take a sharp intake of breath as he tightened his grip on her wrist. The ranger knew he trusted her, but still did not like the idea of any man approaching her like this.

She breathed in and spoke in calm voice, "And how much would this 'night of pleasure' cost me?"

"Only the small fee of fifty gold pieces, fairly lady."

"Seems reasonable," she replied as she handed him the gold.

"Follow me then."

As the young man led Menelanna though the halls Xan could not but feel nervous. He knew in his heart that the ranger would not betray him. Although the very thought of her sharing a bed with this…this _boy_…grated on his nerves. He calmed as she gave a quick tender look in his general direction and touch his hand where he still grasped her arm.

The courtesan stepped aside and gestured to an open door, "Here we are, fair lady." Menelanna walked in and entered a lavishly decorated room. A large velvet covered bed took up a good portion of the room. As soon as the ranger heard the door click shut she threw off her charade.

"Alright now. You will stay here and be quite while I take a look around. Got it?" she stated as she drew back her cloak to show her swords hanging at her belt.

The man gulped, "I can't let you! I will call the guards!"

"Look all I want is to find the girl named Claire and get her out of this place. This has nothing to do with you," she said calmly.

"Claire…poor girl. Lady Galvena was furious about what happened and plans to make an example of her to the rest of us."

"This woman sounds wicked indeed. Please, I must save Claire, so do not alert the guards."

"Wait! I…I can help you. But Galvena can't find out!" exclaimed the frightened man. "But please free us all from her!"

The elf nodded, "I will do what I can."

He reached into his tunic and pulled out a small vile of liquid. He handed it to Menelanna. "This is a vile of sleeping potion. We are to use it on costumers with a heavy purse. If you can get to the kitchen…perhaps it could be put into the guards drinks."

"I understand. Just stay here." Then in a hushed tone, "Lets go Xan."

The ranger slowly opened the door and crept out. She slinked along the shadows until she found what she believed to be the kitchen. After a deep breath she pushed the door open and slipped in.

"AH! Who are you!" a portly woman shrieked. A small girl in the back was startled by the sound and dropped the pots she was carrying with a loud crash.

"Hush, I am here to help a girl named Claire," the ranger hissed.

The small girl perked up, "You're here to help her?"

"Quite girl! Get back to pealing those potatoes!" the woman whom Menelanna assumed was the cook snapped. "Now what do you want stranger."

"As I said, I want to save Claire. All I ask of you is to put this sleeping drought into the guards' drinks so I can move around unhindered."

"That won't work. They would never take anything from my hand," the woman explained.

"Let me do it," the small girl exclaimed. "Please I am sick of those guards treating us so cruelly and Lady Galvena too! This woman wants to help, it is the least I can do!"

The cook nodded, "Alright. Just be careful."

The girl grabbed the vile and pour it into a few tankards of ale. "Don't worry I will. Now miss, be sure to keep a safe distance from me."

"You do not need to worry about me being seen. And thank you for your help." Again in a quite voice, "Your spell will last long enough right, Xan?"

"It will last long enough I hope," he whispered back.

"Who are you talking to, miss?" the girl asked.

The elf smirked, "Lets just say I am not completely alone in here."

She nodded and scurried out of the room soon to be followed by the two elves. Menelanna kept a good distance back as she watched the girl offer two guards and drink. The men gulped it down and no soon did they finish it did they fall into a deep slumber.

"You will find Galvena and Claire down this way. Be careful she might have her pet wizard with her too."

"Thank you. Now get somewhere safe."

She nodded and quickly scampered off down the hall. Menelanna felt Xan's hand within her own. Even though she could not see him his presence reassured her. She drew her blades, knowing there would no use for a bow in this battle, and lead the way into the door way.

As soon as she stepped in she was greeted by the terrified scream of a girl. The elf darted down the hall to find a sneering woman with whip standing over a young cowering girl. A mage in black robes watched the scene with an amused expression on his lips.

"Let her go," the elf ordered.

"What do we have here? Some idiotic adventure?" sneered the woman.

"Arrogance is common in their type. Look at her, thinking she can take us on all by herself. Pathetic." The mage chimed in.

"Well get rid of her. I have work to do."

"Claire, get out of the way!" Menelanna yelled as she darted forward blades poised and ready.

Galvena dropped her whip and drew out a mace to face the elf. At the same time the mage began casting a spell aimed for the ranger. He was unable to finish his spell as one of Xan's own slammed into him. The aggressive movement dispelled his invisibility and the enchanter blinked back into sight. He took another spell component out of his pouch and raised his hands ready for his next attack.

Menelanna trusted him to keep the enemy mage busy while she dealt with the woman. Her sword vibrated as it clashed against Galvena's mace. The elf was surprised by the strength the slim woman had. They paired for several moments before Menelanna began to feel the strain on her arms. She was not use to having to fight in melee and much preferred to stay back with her bow. It galled her knowing that she was struggling with this battle when another member like Anomen or Jaheira could have already defeated the enemy. A cry from Xan drew the ranger's attention to him. An acid arrow was lodged in his right shoulder as he tried to shrug off the pain and begin his next spell. The break in her concentration proved to be a grave mistake as Galvena's next attack threw one of her swords across the room. The quick thinking elf began to chant one of her own spells. The woman's eyes opened in surprise to find that this ranger also wielded magic powers. Her surprise was even greater when fire spewed from Menelanna's fingers and drenched her in flames. Galvena's screamed in pain as her flesh began to burn. Menelanna delivered a merciful blow to her to end her pain.

The enemy mage soon feel as well and the ranger rushed to the enchanter's side. "Are you alright? We need to get that wound checked!" she exclaimed and he clutched his wounded shoulder. She ripped off a strip of fabric from her cloak and bound the wound as best she could. He winced slightly as she touched his injury but waited patiently for her to finish.

"You are wounded too," he said in his normal worried tone. He reached forward and gently touched the side of her brow. A sudden pain shot through the elf's head. As he drew his hand back she saw her own blood staining his hand. She had not even realized she had been struck there.

"We will worry about that later. Now, lets get the girl," she stated as she walked towards the area where the girl had hidden herself. She crouched down in front of the frighten young woman. She shrank back as the elf came close. "You are Claire are you not? We are here to get you out of here. Sanik is very worried about you."

"S…Sanik is alive!? But Galvena said she had him killed!" she exclaimed.

Menelanna smiled gently, "The assassin failed in his job. Come we will get you out of here for good." The ranger held out her hand. Claire hesitantly looked at it for a moment and then timidly took the elf's hand. Menelanna helped the girl up and began to lead the way out of the Feasthall.


	31. Chapter 31

**Well another chapter here! I must thank Kulyok not only for making a great mod for my dear Xan but also for helping me get the much needed dialogs for continuing my story. **

**Well hope you enjoy and please review! **

**It is Time**

Claire sobbed as she embraced Sanik tightly. The man stuttered many "thank you"'s to them and he held the woman he loved. As the young lovers were preparing to leave the island for good, Sanik fulfilled his part of the bargain.

"The only way you can get into Spellhold is to either be committed there or have a ward stone to enter. To get committed you would have to cause on heck of magical disturbance. But here on the island the pirate lord tends to send people there whom he does not like. There is a wizard who lives to the north eastern part of town who has a ward stone. I would suggest going to him, it might be safer than dealing with the pirate lord."

"Thank you for your help. And I hope you to are happy together. Good luck," Menelanna replied with a friendly smile.

"Thank you, but I think you are the one who needs the luck. I do not even want to know why you are trying to get into Spellhold. Now farewell and again thank you," he said as he boarded a ship.

"So what do we do? The pirate lord or the wizard?" Anomen asked.

"I would think the wizard would be the best choice," Jaheira offered.

Menelanna nodded, "I agree. But it is late. Looks like we will be spending at least one more night here before we go find this person."

Everyone nodded in agreement and made way to the Vulgar Monkey. Their shared meal was eaten in silence and edventually each member made their way to their rooms one at a time. Edwin did not depart alone though. The red wizard seemed to attracted the attention of shapely wench and was walking up the stairs with her arm looped around his.

Xan groaned, "Please tell me I do not have to room with the Red Wizard tonight."

"Well…looks like we will have to pay for an extra room," Menelanna muttered. "Why did I ever let that man come along?"

"Because your heritage draws people like him to you like flies to the honey," he said dryly.

"Thank you…"

The two laughed lightly enjoying each others company. It was not long until they were the only one left at the table. Xan tensed as he noticed the many leering eyes that seemed to be attracted to Menelanna. He took her hand and guided her outside where they could enjoy each other away from unwanted attention.

"I never thought you would be a jealous one."

"But I am very jealous. I do not like how other men look at you, melamin," he said softly.

"I am just as jealous. I do not like how other women look at you."

Xan looked down at her. He did not speak for a long while; he just enjoyed the sight of her beauty. Finally he let out a sigh and broke the silence. "I…I wanted to ask. What do you plan on doing with your divinity? Do you wish to become a god in Bhaal's stead? If given the choice would you become mortal?"

"You should know good and well that I do not want to become a god. I just to be a normal woman and live a normal life. Why do you ask?"

"It was not an idle question. I believe I have found a way…"

Menelanna's eyes shot open and she stared at him in surprise. She opened her mouth to try to form words but her shock was too great and nothing came out. Xan place a finger on her lips to stay any words she might speak and went on. "I do not know whether it is an empty hope, but I believe I have found a way. Magic runs in my family, and so I learned things I would have never heard of otherwise. My people practice High Magic, available only for the chosen few, and dangerous to the extreme, but still practiced, even if it requires great sacrifices from the ones performing the ritual. One of these rituals - Suyoll, the Gift of Life, could be the one we are looking for. It is rarely used, mainly to honor heroes and restore to life the undead sages, but as an exception, I could persuade my kin to use it on you"

"W..would they listen to you? I know you are a moonblade wielder but…"

"They will at least listen to me if not comply," he said softly. "The ritual will restore you. From what I know, it cancels curses of any nature, neutralizes all unnatural effects and brings you into harmony with the Weave. Your curse is your heritage, inflicted by Bhaal himself, but the god is dead, and High Magic is alive and strong. Were I myself a High Mage, I would tell you for certain, but as it is, I can only hope it will free you of your taint forever. I think that it is worth a try, once Irenicus is safely out of the way. Unless... unless your heritage shows itself. If it does, you will become a monster, and no ritual will be able to aid you."

A look of hopeful joy crossed the ranger's face. She threw her arms around and gave him a quick kiss. "You have given me hope…thank you."

He held her tight against him as his fingers idly traced the small of her back. "No, it is I who must thank you. You gave me love. I can never repay you, but that would be a wonderful way of expressing my gratitude."

"Before that can happen we have other things to worry about. Lets get some rest. We have a lot ahead of us."

He nodded and bid her a goodnight before they kissed and headed for their separate rooms.

-------------------

"This is the place?" Anomen asked skeptically.

They were standing outside of a small building that had more than one broken window. Yoshimo nodded to the knight, "That is what my information has told me."

"Although…the man he questioned was drunk," Sime chimed in with a small grin. The shadow thief was slowly becoming use to the group and seemed to take pleasure in teasing her companions. Menelanna was sure Imoen would enjoy meeting the raven hair girl.

"Heh…well you do know alcohol loosens the tongue of those who normal keep the truth silent," Yoshimo replied back with one of trademark grins.

"Enough chatting! Lets just check this place out and get it over with!" the clearly annoyed druid snapped. Everyone nodded obediently and followed the half-elf's lead. Surprisingly they found the door unlocked. Inside the house was a complete mess. Books were scattered all over the room and as thin layer of dust covered everything. The scuff of a boot alerted them that they were not alone. A man with vacant looking eyes and in a long robe stepped out of the shadows.

"Who are you?" his voice came. He sound odd and distant, like it was not even him speaking.

"I am Menelanna. I…" the ranger began.

"Menelanna? Menelanna…yes that is the name. Test limits? Yes…" he mumbled in his raspy voice.

Xan grabbed Menelanna and pulled her behind him, "Get back! He is under a geas and is not himself!"

The man uttered a few words and triggered his protection spells. Menelanna drew her bow and released an arrow. The projectile bounced harmlessly off of the magic shield surrounding the mage. Xan and Edwin began chanting their own spells to counter the enemies own. Anomen and Ajantis ran forward to engage the man, hoping to keep him from casting any more spells. The two did not even get half way to the man before they were frozen in place by a spell of holding.

Menelanna cursed. As long as the enemy mage had those protection spells up her arrows could do him no harm. She sighed with relief as a white orb shot from Xan's hands and stripped the enemy of most of his protection. Before she could let loose another arrow though, a second curse exited her lips. Edwin released a fiery red ball which exploded into flame upon impacting the man. Their enemy screamed as the flames consumed him. That would not have concerned the ranger so much, except for the fact that the still held Anomen and Ajantis were also caught in the flames.

Xan ran forward with Jaheira. After the enchanter lifted the spell, Jaheira quickly went into administering healing spell to the burned men. Both men glared darkly at the red mage.

"You idiot! You could have killed them with that spell. Be more careful where you though your fireballs!" the ranger yelled enraged.

"Ha! Not like I would get a thank you. I _did _defeat the enemy did I not. It is not my fault if idiots like them get in my way! (Not like a simeon like you would ever have appreciation for my great power.)" the man declared arrogantly.

"I do not like your attitude mage. You have better watch yourself," Kivan said in a calm but threatening tone.

Before more arguing could erupt, Sime brought a welcome intervention. "I do believe this is the ward stone that will allow us to enter Spellhold." She handed Menelanna a small round stone. The ranger could see several runes carved into it. She assumed it had powerful magic to not be damaged by Edwin's badly used fireball.

Everyone in the room stood there in utter silence for many moments. The time had come. It was finally time for them to enter Spellhold and rescue Imoen. _If she is still alive that is_, Menelanna shook her head. She refused to let such doubt enter her thoughts at a time like this. She clutched the ward stone in her hand and looked up and the people who had traveled with her for so long.

"It is time to rescue Imoen."


	32. Chapter 32

**Took me long enough to get this done huh? Well finally here is the next chapter. Hope you enjoy it and I sure hope it does not take me this long again to get my next one out!**

**Traps and Betrayal **

The fortress that was Spellhold loamed over them like an imposing dark shadow. Menelanna took a deep breath and took the first steps towards the prison that held Imoen. One by one her loyal companions and friends followed her lead. The ranger felt unease. She had the uncomfortable feeling that she was being watched, and knew most likely that that was the case. She stopped at the entrance to the asylum frozen for a moment. Jaheira place a hand on the young elf's shoulder. Menelanna swallowed and reached out and opened the door.

The door opened slowly with a loud creak as if the hinges had not been oiled for some time. Standing inside the entrance was a man with a cowl pulled low over his face. The ranger took a step back and tightened her grip upon her bow.

"Welcome to this place, Menelanna. I have been expecting you," he spoke. Menelanna tensed, his voice was strangely familiar but she could not place where she knew it from.

She straightened herself and spoke up, "How do you know my name?"

"You made inquires in town," he said simply. "Come I shall show you to the one you seek."

"Please do. But know that we will be watching for any treachery," she warned.

The cowled wizard slowly turned and began to lead them down a dark hallway. There were several prison cells along the way. Most held some unfortunate soul inside. Their guide halted at a few and told them a bit about the prisoner. Some seemed to just be misunderstood, like the young girl Dili who was able to change her shape at will. While others had lost their wits and were a danger because they still had their spell casting abilities. Menelanna smirked and shared a few glances with her companions when they came to the cell of a gnome who declared he would rule the world.

"Well it seems at least one person is where he belongs," Jaheira remarked when she laid eyes of Tiax.

For the most part Menelanna did not even listen to what the cowled man was saying. Her thought were solely on Imoen. Her heart skipped a beat and for a moment it seemed as if she had forgotten to breathe when they at last come to the final room. A pink hair girl was curled up in the corner as if trying to hide herself from the world.

Menelanna shoved past their guide and she called out, "Imoen!!" She ran to her sister and kneeled by her. She took Imoen into her arms. "Imoen," she whispered, "I am here…"

The girl looked up with blank eyes and spoke with an empty hollow voice, "Empty…so empty…"

Menelanna took her sister's face in her hands. "Im! It's me…Menelanna. I am here to take you home. Back to Candlekeep…we can go see old Puffguts again," she spoke in a desperate voice trying to get some spark of recognition out of the girl.

"She does not seem responsive at the moment. Her consciousness comes and goes, it is fortunate that you come when you did," came the man's voice.

Menelanna turned quickly and gave the man a deadly glare, "What did you do to her!? Never mind that…I am leaving with her now!" She turned back to Imoen and gently took her hands, "Come on Im…lets go."

"Oh no…you misunderstood. It is fortunate for ME that you came when did. I am done with and it is YOU that I want," came his confident voice. Menelanna's eyes widened. She knew finally realized who this was! "Ah…I see you know who I am now," he smiled as he pulled back his hood to reveal the scared face that had haunted the ranger's dreams for so long.

"Irenicus…" she growled.

"Yoshimo you did well," the mage declared.

Everyone gasped and backed away from the ashamed looking thief. Yoshimo turned his face away refusing to meet the ranger's eyes.

"Wh…what are you talking about? Yoshimo has been a loyal companion ever since we met him…," she turned to the thief. "Ever since we met him in your dungeon."

"I am sorry, Menelanna…I had no choice!"

"The excuse of a coward and a traitor!" Anomen yelled as he drew his weapon and approached the man.

"Stop!" Menelanna ordered. "We have more important things to deal with now!" She fitted an arrow in her bow and placed herself between Imoen and Irenicus, "You have done enough harm to me and my friends. You will not lay another finger on any of us!"

Irenicus just laughed, "You really think you can defeat me?"

Xan suddenly ran forward moonblade in hand and stood defensively in front of the ranger. "You will not touch her again monster!" he snarled. Xan surprised himself with his own stupid bravery but he could not stand by and let this man harm Menelanna again.

Irenicus laughed again, a cold confident amused laugh. "There will be no battle, no heroics. Only sleep." Before any of them could react he spoke a few magical words. A sudden weariness fell over the companions.

Xan grabbed the ranger's arm and shoved her towards the exit, "Run! Run you silly girl!"

Menelanna fell to her knees as her strength left her body. _Imoen…I am sorry I could not save you,_ where her last thoughts before she knew no more.

----------------------

Menelanna groaned as she began to regain consciousness. She cracked open her eyes only to stare into darkness. Slowly her eyes adjusted to the gloom and she could see that she was alone in a cage.

The ranger tried to sit up, but found that her limbs were tightly bound with coarse rope. Another groan escaped her lips as she fell back down on down on the hard cold floor. She closed her eyes again and sighed in despair.

"Imoen…I am sorry. I failed you," she whispered into the darkness.

The soft click of a boot caused her open her eyes once more. She half expected to see Irenicus' scared gloating face looming over her. Instead she saw Yoshimo's staring down at her with sad eyes.

"I am sorry this had to happen, Menelanna," he said softly.

She glared up at him with as much strength as she could muster, "Why? Tell me why you betrayed me?" she growled. "What did I ever do to deserver this?"

"I will explain myself," he replied with a sigh. "I met Irenicus shortly after you defeated Sarovoke. I had traveled to Baldur's Gate to visit my sister."

"Your sister?"

"Tamoko," he said softly as Menelanna gasped. "Irenicus told me you had murdered her. At first I did not believe, not until he showed me her grave."

Now Menelanna understood. "You wanted revenge," she said simply.

He nodded, "I agreed to aid Irenicus if it met avenging Tamoko. He put me under a geas at that time to ensure my loyalty." He let out a sad sigh, "At that time I had no idea what kind of monster he was. Or the truth about what happened to my sister."

Menelanna nodded, "I understand. I am sorry about Tamoko. And I am sorry you got involved in all this."

Yoshimo opened his mouth to say something more but was interrupted by the sound of the door opening. Menelanna instinctually cringed as Irenicus stepped in and began to make his way towards her. Bohdi silently glided in after him and smiled wickedly at the ranger. She felt a wave of revulsion and panic wash through her as she noticed the vampire's fangs were covered with fresh blood. It suddenly dawned on her that she had no idea where her friends were, or if they were even alive.

"I think you have disturbed our 'guest' long enough, Yoshimo," Irenicus spoke. "Stand aside."

The bounty hunter swallowed hard and obediently followed the order. The mage move forward and with a wave unlocked the ranger's cell. Menelanna wished she could be strong and face her tormentor, but she could not. As he kneeled down next to her, she tensed and tried to move away.

Irenicus gave a mocking laugh at seeing how the elf feared him. He grabbed her chin and forced her to look up at him. He sneered as he gazed at her with his ice cold blue eyes. "How is it that such power is wasted on one so weak? But soon your power will be mine Child of Bhaal."

He roughly shoved her away and caused her to topple over. He rose and turned away from her. "Bring her," he ordered as he left the room. From the shadows two vampires stepped forward. They grabbed her in the cold icy grip and she felt the remainder of her strength leave her body. The undead guards lifted her up and dragged her down the dark corridor after the insane mage.


	33. Chapter 33

**Well, I got another one out faster than I expected. I kinda have to thank the nice reviews I got recently for giving me the kick in my boot to get me writing faster. Not a long chapter, but here it is. Hope you enjoy. **

**Drained**

She was placed in what looked to her to be a giant glass tube. The wires and coils that ran around this odd prison gave Menelanna an extraordinarily bad feeling. She could see similar tubes lined around the room, each holding some unfortunate person.

Irenicus was toying with some dials at what appeared to be a control panel. Bodhi was standing to his side like an obedient dog. Yoshimo could also be seen. He gave a Menelanna a look that plainly told her how sorry he was for the whole thing, how ashamed he was for betraying her. Then the image to made Menelanna gasp was Imoen huddled in the corner staring across the room with an empty blank expression.

The ranger, who was now no longer tied, began pounding on the glass of her prison with all the strength she could muster. Irenicus turned and smiled at seeing her desperation. "It is as I predicted," he began smugly. "It all has been. I fear I have had an advantage over you; I have planned your coming from the start. It could be no other way."

Menelanna glared back at the mage. "Why…" she began.

Irenicus did not let her finish he question as he calmly spoke on. "Had you known of Yoshimo." He made a lazy gesturing to the man behind him, "things might have been different. But a spell component slipped into a soup will still get anyone in the end."

"Let Imoen free you…"she began to yell, but was once again interrupted.

"Don't worry, Imoen has already suffered what she must for my cause. She even survived -- and this bodes well for you. You are stronger, more focused; you are _aware_."

"Wh…what are you talking about? Imoen…she can't be a…" the ranger stammered.

"Imoen was more than bait, and has served just as you will. She is like you in many ways, and in one very special one," he went on. "You must have suspected. Perhaps she felt no symptoms, but the taint was there. She is a similar age, and was apparently secluded as a child, just as you were. This Gorion of yours should have told you about yourselves early on. You might have learned not to fear what you are."

"No…this can't be true. You're lying!" she shouted.

"Imoen is indeed a child of Bhaal," insisted Irenicus. "I suspect her innocent charm and humour suppressed the darkness. She showed no symptom because there was no place for shadow in her spirit. I had to show her some very dark images indeed. It is unfortunate that it had to be done, but it was necessary to get what I needed. Now I must focus on you."

"What did you do to her? And where are my friends? What have you done with them?" she demanded.

"You should be more concerned about yourself," he replied back.

"I will not help you," she spat.

He laughed again, "You assume you are a volunteer, but I don't need your co-operation. I will take the essence of you regardless."

"I am strong, Irenicus. I will survive what ever you are planning and I will kill you," Menelanna growled back. She stood straight and tall but inside she felt small and weak. _"Can I really kill him?" _she questioned herself.

"No, Menelanna," he smiled wickedly. "You are not. It is much more likely that you will die. Unfortunate, but unavoidable. Do you see the Shadow Thieves in the other chambers?" He gestured to them. "They are the fruits of Bodhi's guild war, and their deaths shall force the divine soul from you." Suddenly Menelanna could no long but on a brave face anymore and she shrank back away from him. "Don't be afraid -- I suspect this will be mercifully quick."

He closed his eyes and began a strange incantation that the ranger was unfamiliar with. Electricity began to run along the edges of her prison and the same was happening to the other chambers. Menelanna watched in horror as one by one the imprisoned shadow thieves let out a blood curtailing scream as the died. As the power built around her own chamber she knew it was her turn.

"_Xan…please escape from here. Please escape and live…for me," _she prayed silently. Then an unbearable pain shot through her body. She was barely aware of her own scream as her world grew black.

----------------------

"_Candlekeep?" _Menelanna thought when she opened her eyes again. The place she was in was indeed Candlekeep, but not the Candlekeep of her youth. _"Am I dreaming again? What is this?"_

She stood up and began to look around. She felt a wave of relief to find she had her weapons and armor again. A soft voice echoing through the empty garden made her jump.

"Find me within. Find me…" it came.

"Imoen?" Menelanna uttered as she recognized the voice.

The voice came from the library the loomed before her. The ranger, too thrilled at hearing her sister's voice, ran forward. She burst through the large wooden door and ran into the empty library. Imoen was standing their waiting.

"Imoen!" she yelled ecstatic and ran to wrap her arms around the girl.

She was halted though when Imoen held up and finger and placed it to her lips. "Shhh," whispered the young girl. "Before the shadows return to me... I have seen what is to come -- one alone cannot fight... together we must battle your instinct. Alone you would fall, whether you win or lose, but here... in my sight... we can defeat it. Lead it... here. Together... he does not expect us together... but he has shown me how."

"Wha…what are you talking about?"

"Lead the beast here!" she pleaded. "It is your only chance…and my last." Her voice trailed off.

Not knowing what else to do, Menelanna nodded and ran back out the doors. She was soon greeted by a tall hulking man in spiked armor.

"_Sarevok?!" _she though at first. Then her eyes widened as she came to realize who this truly was. It was her father, Bhaal.

He raised his sword above his head as he advanced on the much smaller elf. "Fall to your knees! You can do no other! I am within you! I am your essence!"

Though inside Menelanna was terrified of this creature she refused to show it. Instead she stood tall and smirked. "Catch me if you can," she teased before turning and running as fast as her legs would carry her.

"You cannot run from yourself! You cannot defeat yourself! I am the blood! I am the _instinct_!" he screamed after her and began to give chase.

The ranger, knowing he was just a step behind her, did not slow her pace. As she burst into the library she skid to a stop by Imoen's side. A second later Bhaal burst in ripping the library doors off its hinges.

"Now!" She called out. "It is in my sight! I will add my strength to yours... he has shown me... how to make it vulnerable!"

A light suddenly surrounded the dark figure paralyzing it. Not one to give up a chance, Menelanna quickly imbued and arrow with her most powerful spell and let it loose. The arrow flew leaving a bight trail of magical energy behind it before it buried itself in her enemies neck.

Even with an arrow protruding from his windpipe, Bhaal still managed to speak. "I am your instinct!" he yelled enraged. "Yet... you deny me? Fight me within your own mind? I should devour you! How do you stand? I sense... your soul... it has taken form to guide from within -- you are strange amongst your kin! But... it is weak! It will not help again! There is nothing inside -- You are empty, now... except for your instinct!"

Suddenly Imoen fell to her knees with a shriek of pain. Menelanna instantly dropped her bow and was at her sister's side.

"Something is wrong!" the girl screamed. "I... no... not again!"

The ranger did not even have time to call out her sister's name before an unbearable pain shot through her. For many moments she withered on the ground unable to stop the agony. She was vaguely aware of the deep evil laughter that belonged to her father before her world grew black.

-------------------

Menelanna could see nothing, but she could hear a voice. It was not completely clear and sounded like it came from a dream. Even so there was no mistaking the voice.

"Well, you are a strong one indeed," Irenicus mused. "You resist beyond all reason. A pity you are dead on the inside." Menelanna groaned. She wished she could open her eyes, she wished she could get up, but she had no strength left.

"I have drained you," he explained calmly. "Drained you of the very thing that made you special. It is the worse of curses, and I should know. You are no longer a living threat. I have taken your divinity and drained you of your soul." He laughed darkly and spoke on, "The curse wrought against Bodhi and I has now ceased, and yours and Imoen's has begun. You will wither, you will wane... and you will die."

Menelanna could hear that he was moving away. "Bodhi!" he barked an order. "Remove this... nothing! And Imoen as well. We are restored at their expense and need them no longer. Our revenge to come is now all the sweeter."

As the icy grasp of a vampire hand grabbed her, Menelanna again lost all consciousness. The next thing she knew was waking up in the gentle embrace of a paled faced worried sick Xan.


	34. Chapter 34

Hi everyone! Remember me? Sorry it took me so long to get this done, but you know how school and work can be. Well with finals out of the way I was able to get at least one chapter done. Hopefully I will be able to finish the next one soon. Enjoy!

**Reunited**

Jaheira paced back and forth. She was the first to awaken from the sleep Irenicus had put them in to discover that she was in the middle of what appeared to be a maze. She glanced around the room and was relieved to see everyone present. Everyone except for Menelanna, Imoen, and that traitor Yoshimo. 

The druid had discovered that all their equipment was still with them, including Menelanna's things stacked in a corner. The proud druid felt somewhat insulted that their enemy did not see them as enough of a threat to take away all their weapons. 

One by one the rest of her companions awoke. She helped Xan up as he came around. The enchanter scanned to room quickly and soon noticed the absence of the person he was seeking. He looked back to the druid.

"Where…" he began, but the look on her face halted his words.

The druid shook her head and sighed, "I do not know. I am worried about her too."

Xan buried his head in his hands. He had promised that he would not let harm come to her, but he had failed. He failed to protect her. He had no idea how long he sat there. The enchanter was vaguely aware of the rest of his companions awakening and finding their bearings, but it did not matter to him. The only person who truly did matter to him was most likely dead. 

The enchanter finally looked up when he heard Anomen growl something about 'how dare you vampire scum show herself again.'

Bodhi was standing on some sort of platform looking over them. But it was not the vampress and her minions that caught Xan's eye. It was the limp form of a red hair elf being carried by one of the undead creatures that did. Imoen was there too. 

With a wave of her hand, Bodhi signaled her followers forward. A moment later Menelanna and Imoen were both dropped into the room. Xan rush forward and caught Menelanna before she hit the floor. Her dead weight caused him to fall over, but at least she did not have to take the brunt of the fall. 

Xan glanced over to see that Imoen had been caught by Ajantis and was slowly coming to. The enchanter then turned his gaze back to Menelanna. She was pale and her skin felt cold, but she was breathing, barely. She groaned as he stroked her cheek and opened her eyes. Xan let out a gasp as he looked into her eyes. No longer did they shine like flawless emeralds full of joy, but they were pale and empty. 

Her now pale eyes looked up and Bodhi. With a great effort the ranger sat up and then brought herself to her feet. Xan was immediately supporting her, helping her. She seemed so weak that she could fall over at any second. 

Bodhi gave a vile grin as she watched the girl's efforts, "And so your life does come to an end," she taunted. "A pity. You have proven resilient beyond all expectation. It is appealing to me."

"Spare…"she began but she was having a hard time speaking. "…Spare me your words and do as you have been ordered... like a good girl," she croaked, barely able to make her words audible. 

"Irenicus does indeed wish you dead, but I am not his lapdog and you are now subject to _my _will," hissed Bodhi. "Your words will foster no resentment towards my brother, but I also need not obey him just yet. Your abilities have piqued my interest, and since you are to die, I would have you do it in an entertaining fashion."

"We won't do anything for you!" Jaheira barked.

"You will do it or die," sneered the vampire. "Irenicus can be so dour when he wishes. He is set upon revenge for his banishment, and can think of nothing else. A failing of his mind remaining flesh, I suspect. Undeath has given me focus, and an interest in the abilities of powerful creatures; an interest in you. I will make your death glorious, as well as entertaining."

"Do your worst, Bodhi. I do not fear you," Menelanna replied as strongly as she could. There was something different in her voice, Xan could feel it. 

"You should," purred Bodhi in reply. "You must run my gauntlet to prolong your life. You must do so knowing you have but the slimmest chance to make a difference. Do you see these passages before you? They are the darkest part of the asylum and its history: a test of clarity for its prisoners, by a director that delighted in dissecting the mind. Now he is under my... influence, and this place is mine to control. It is a masterpiece of madness, one that you will come to know intimately. It has been some time since I have given chase to a worthy foe. Enter the maze of this place and seek an exit. I give you time to run, after which I will come to feed."

"We will not perform for you!" Jaheira shouted.

Bodhi laughed. "But you are not running solely for my benefit. I give you a reason as well, to make the hunt more desperate. You may yet foil Irenicus, though the chance is small. His plans will take time, just about as long as my hunt. Run my gauntlet and your life ends... or is freed. The hunt begins!"

Menelanna weakly broke away from Xan's grasp. She slowly made her way to her sister, Imoen.

"You came for me. You came so far, only to have this happen."

Menelanna returned the girl's hug. "Of course. There was no way I was going to let that monster keep you."

Imoen burst into tears and wrapped her arms around the elf. "Are you all right? I was so scared... you came all this way to get me and we were almost..."

"Shhhh," whispered the ranger, her arms going back around the young thief as they shared their own embrace. The elf's hold was enough to soothe the human's trembling. "Are you hurt? What did he do to you?"

Imoen shrugged slightly as they pulled apart. "I... I don't know, really," she admitted. "Same thing he did to you, I guess... since we're... the same?"

"Mene…" she said using her sister's nickname. "he showed me what you are and... what I am. And then he took it away." Imoen's voice was small. "I don't know who I am now. You may not feel it yet, but the spell for me made me feel hollow. He took something vital... he says it was my divine soul? I find out I'm a child of a god and now I'm empty and dying. You are too..."

Menelanna released Imoen from her embrace and looked into her eyes. "I know...and we will help each other thought this. Together."

"We should move on," the ranger said at last. It was obvious she was extremely tired and weak. She needed rest, knew she would get none while they were here. 

Imoen gave her sister, for they truly were sisters now it seemed. "Let the way fearless leader," she said with an encouraging wink. 

She nodded and began to lead the way down one of the corridors. Xan walked close behind her not desiring to let her out of his sight again. A few moments later he was thankful for being so close to her. Without warning a sever dizziness overtook the ranger and she lost control of her limbs and she began to fall to the ground. Xan quickly wrapped his arms around her caught her. He gently lower her down and cradled her in his embrace.

Her stroked her cheek and brushed a stray hair out of her face. "You need rest," he said needlessly. He let out a long sigh that was so common for him, "but you will get none here. Please lean on me and allow someone else to take the lead." 

The normally suborn ranger just weakly nodded her head. She knew he was right, and was in no condition to fight. "Jaheria…" she began.

The druid knelt next to her. "Hush," she said softly. "I will gladly lead for you." 

Xan helped Menelanna to her feet and put a supporting arm around her waist. The ranger leaned on him and laid her head on his shoulder. Even in this dire situation the enchanter's touch and presence was such a comfort to her. When Irenicus had taken her, she had believed she would never see her companions again. Being back with them, even if it were to die soon, was truly a blessing for her. 

Slowly with Jaheira in the lead, the party made its way down the dark corridors of the maze they were trapped in, not knowing if they would ever find the exit. 


End file.
